October 03, 2005 - Representative Dingell at the GEMA opening ceremony in Dundee

Congressman Dingell is deeply concerned with the loss of American jobs. Over the past decade, we have witnessed the migration of millions of American jobs overseas, particularly in Michigan. Irresponsible tax and trade policies by the previous Administration in large part facilitated this trend, and Congressman Dingell will work during the 111th Congress to enact legislation to reinvigorate the Nation’s economy, particularly the manufacturing sector. To that end, Congressman Dingell has consistently supported increased funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP). MEP is the only federal program dedicated to providing technical support and services to manufacturers, providing access to training and technologies that improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability helping manufacturers to compete in the global workforce.

Congressman Dingell believes in fair trade, not free trade, and wants to ensure that as America opens up its market to imports, our trading partners should open up their markets as well. He has voted in favor of free trade agreements that included protections for worker rights and the environment, but has opposed trade deals when those protections were weak or absent. For example, he does not support the Korea Free Trade Agreement, as negotiated by the previous Administration, because it allows the Korean market to remain virtually closed to U.S.-made automobiles.

Congressman Dingell has also been a strong advocate for ending international currency manipulation. Nations such as China and Japan have used international currency markets to drive down the cost of their own currencies, thereby artificially lowering the price of their exports and driving the prices of American-made goods higher.

Cash-for-Clunkers
Congressman Dingell played a critical role in the drafting of H.R. 2751, the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act (also known as “cash-for-clunkers”), sponsored by Congresswoman Betty Sutton of Ohio.  This bill won the support of the United Auto Workers, domestic and foreign auto manufacturers and suppliers, and automotive dealers, resulting in meaningful reductions in vehicle fleet carbon emissions and fuel consumption, all while providing much-needed stimulus for our ailing automakers and economy. President Obama signed the bill in June 2009. Cash-for-clunkers added 1.66 percent of the 3.5 percent growth in the nation's GDP during the third quarter of 2009, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis at U.S. Department of Commerce.