Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- A request by General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and their suppliers for at least $25 billion in government loans to help them shift to more fuel-efficient auto models will likely be included in energy and economic stimulus measures this month, House Democratic leaders said today.

Funding for the loans may be included in the 2008 energy bill, in a second economic stimulus package, or in legislation that will temporarily fund the government until the congressional budget work is complete, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters.

``We may have that in the energy bill, we certainly would have it in the stimulus package, we certainly would hope it will be part of the supplemental at the end of the day,'' Pelosi said.

``It is very, very important,'' Pelosi said. ``It is about jobs, jobs, jobs.''

Pelosi and other Democrats in Congress have called for an additional $50 billion in economic stimulus from the government to help overcome the effects of the biggest housing slump since the Great Depression and near-record gasoline prices.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said earlier today that the auto loans may be included in the stimulus package.

President George W. Bush doesn't support a stimulus plan, saying that a $168 billion stimulus that went into effect earlier this year is helping to improve the economy.

GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC have made the loans their top lobbying priority as Congress returns this week for a monthlong session before the presidential election. The automakers and their suppliers are trying to get the initial funding appropriated so it's available in January.

Losses

GM and Ford lost $24.1 billion in the second quarter as consumers, faced with record gasoline prices, shifted from the light trucks that provide most of the U.S. companies' sales to cars, benefiting overseas competitors such as Honda Motor Co. Total U.S. auto sales may drop to a 15-year low this year and fall even more in 2009, analysts have said.

Obtaining the loans will reduce the risk of bankruptcy at the three U.S.-based automakers, New York-based JPMorgan & Chase Co. analyst Himanshu Patel wrote in a report yesterday. Chrysler doesn't report full financial results since being bought last year by private equity company Cerberus Capital Management LP.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jeff Green in Southfield, Michigan at jgreen16@bloomberg.net; Nicholas Johnston in Washington at njohnston3@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 9, 2008 14:51 EDT