UPDATE 1-US Senate considers 'clunker' plan for auto sales

* Consumers would receive up to $4,500 for car purchase

* US plan follows on GM, Chrysler bankruptcies

* Senator says effort a success in Germany, China, France

* Obama supports gov't effort to spur sales.

By John Crawley

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate considered a proposal on Monday to invigorate auto sales and boost distressed carmakers by underwriting some of the cost to consumers of buying fuel-efficient cars.

A bipartisan plan authored by Senators Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Sam Brownback of Kansas came into focus a day after General Motors Corp GMGMQ.PK followed Chrysler LLC into bankruptcy.

It also came as automakers began to report yet another month of recession-fueled sales declines, with purchases off about 30 percent in May from a year earlier.

"It's critical that we pass this at this time. It goes without saying when we look at what happened yesterday with General Motors and what we saw with Chrysler," Stabenow, a Democrat, said in remarks on the Senate floor.