Is He Asking About Toyota or the U.S. Government?

Druing the recent Congressional hearings with Toyota executives about reported safety issues, Rep. Elijah Cummings asked the following questions. In light of corruption, overspending, budget deficits, poor management, etc., etc., couldn't these same questions be asked of the Unites States government itself? At least Toyota had an excellent reputation going into this fiasco.

Congressman Elijah Cummings (Democrat, Maryland):

Time after time, there are pronounements that problems are being addressed. Over and over again, they seem that they're not being addressed.
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But that trust is hard to ... re-establish when they see over and over again these kinds of situations and they say, "Well, why should we believe that things are going to get better?"
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How do you say to your customers (the electorate)--the people who take their hard-earned dollars, in a tough economic time--and spend them on a Toyota vehicle (send them to Washington as taxes), how do you say to them, "We can trust you" ... when it seems as if there as if there is no end to this series of ... promises that seem to fall short ...?

Perhaps if our elected officials could answer these questions, we, the electorate would have a better impression of Congress and have more trust in our leaders.