WASHINGTON — The White House and congressional Democrats may have agreed on a bill to help the beleaguered Detroit automakers, but the political and economic paths to any resolution are still far from smooth.

Q. What happened yesterday?

A. Democrats and the White House agreed to a measure that gives $14 billion in emergency loans to the carmakers. The bill could come to a vote in the coming days, but it faces stiff opposition from Senate Republicans.

Q. What would the bill do?

A. In its current form, it gives a bridge loan to the industry until March 31. The bill creates a position of auto czar to oversee and negotiate the restructuring of any companies that take the money. The czar could grant a one-month extension, depending on the talks.

Q. Does the emergency loan solve the industry's problems?

A. Far from it. The industry had sought as much as $34 billion so the current loan, if approved, buys only some breathing room for the czar to hammer out a deal among the companies, creditors, labor unions and others to rebuild the industry. If the deal isn't finalized, the czar could recall the loan and force the companies into bankruptcy.

Q. What compromises were made to allow yesterday's agreement?

A. Congressional Democrats had sought government review of any transaction larger than $25 million. But after the White House balked, they compromised on $100 million. Democrats backed away from their demand that carmakers be forced to drop lawsuits challenging tough emissions limits in states including California.

Q. What are the politics involved?

A. There are two political pitfalls.

The current Congress is a lame duck, which means some members won't be in the House or Senate that takes office in January. So the current Congress has to decide on a deal with which the next Congress — and President-elect Barack Obama — will have to live, because the automotive industry's problems will continue through the next year at least.

Democrats narrowly control the Senate but must get 60 votes to break any threatened GOP filibuster. In effect, opposition Republicans can block the bill by stalling.

Q. Why would they do that?

A. Republican senators argue the bill doesn't deal with the real issues facing the industry and that they oppose a piecemeal approach.

"Unless Chrysler, Ford and General Motors become lean and innovative and competitive in the marketplace, this is only delaying their funeral," Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said yesterday in opposing the bill. "I want them to survive — they can strip down, become competitive and save thousands and thousands of jobs. But this proposal that I've seen thus far will not do it."

Q. What will the Republican White House do?

A. As an unpopular lame duck himself, President Bush has few options to convince Senate Republicans. The administration said top officials including the president and his chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, would lobby the GOP.

Q. What about Obama?

A. The White House said it would work with the Obama team to choose the auto czar and to carry out the terms of the bill, if passed.