NASHVILLE (AP) - Volkswagen is reaffirming its commitment to its lone U.S. plant in Tennessee in light of a diesel emissions cheating scandal that has rocked the German automaker.

The Chattanooga plant's CEO, Christian Koch, said in a statement that the company must "deepen our commitment to America."

The statement comes before a Thursday hearing by state lawmakers.

The hearing was called by Republican Sen. Bo Watson, who has said he wants to ensure that the state's hundreds of millions of incentive dollars are being spent wisely by the German automaker.

Watson has long been a vocal critic of Volkswagen for not doing more to prevent the United Auto Workers union from gaining a foothold at the plant. Thursday's hearing comes less than a week after maintenance workers at the plant petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a new union vote.