General Motors said it received $4 billion from the federal government on December 31. That was the first installment in a $13.4 billion bailout package promised in mid-December to the stumbling U.S. automaker by the lame-duck Bush administration.

The Bush White House also earmarked $4 billion in emergency short-term loans to Chrysler, but as of January 1, the company — owned by the private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management — had not received any funds from the Treasury Department.

In a statement, GM said it 'remains committed to providing great cars, trucks and crossovers, as well as leading technologies, to our customers.'

The Treasury Department earlier this week approved a separate $6 billion financial package for GMAC, which provides loans to GM customers and dealers.