Autos, Labor, Manufacturing, and Trade

Throughout his tenure in Congress, he has actively worked to ensure that all working men and women have a safe work environment and are compensated fairly. He has also consistently advocated for legislation to allow workers to collective bargain should they choose to and has fought against efforts to weaken our labor laws.

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 migration of jobs to countries with lower wages and inadequate worker protections, 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 is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3012, the TRADE Act, which, among other things, would direct the President to develop a plan for re-negotiating existing free trade agreements in order to bring them into compliance with certain standards related to labor and human rights, the environment, and intellectual property.

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.  Congressman Dingell is a co-sponsor of H.R. 2378, the Currency Reform and Fair Trade Act, which would improve the federal government’s authority to take punitive action against foreign countries found to be manipulating the value of their currencies.

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010

In the wake of the massive recalls of Toyota vehicles in late-2008 and early-2009, Congressman Dingell played a key role in writing H.R. 5381, the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010.  This bill, which contains the first substantial improvements to the authorities of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in over a decade, establishes new vehicle safety standards related to sudden unintended acceleration and vehicle event data recorders.  H.R. 5381 includes a new corporate responsibility provision to ensure that foreign auto manufacturers play by the same rules as domestic ones.

The CARS Program

The Congressman played a key role in writing and enacting the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save, or ‘cash for clunkers,’ program.  Under cash for clunkers, consumers could receive federal subsidies to help them trade in their old vehicles for new, fuel efficient ones.  Cash for clunkers generated more than 700,000 new vehicle sales during its month-long run in 2009, and the Center for Automotive Research estimates the program created or saved approximately 50,000 jobs right here in the United States.  Some economists say the program added as much as a half of a percentage point to gross domestic product over the next two quarters of the year.  Another study by researchers at the University of Michigan found that the program improved the average fuel economy of all vehicles purchased by 0.6 mpg in July 2009 and by 0.7 mpg in August 2009.

Related Legislation

H.CON.RES.205 – Recognizing and honoring America’s labor movement, supporting the designation of a National Labor History Month

H.R.11 – Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

H.R. 12 – Paycheck Fairness Act

H.R. 399 – To direct the Secretary of Labor to make a grant to a public university to establish the Center for the Study of Women and Workplace Policy

H.R. 413 – Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009

H.R. 1409 – Employee Free Choice Act of 2009

H.R. 1881 – Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act of 2009

H.R. 2150 – To increase the amount of direct loans that may be provided by the Secretary of Energy to improve facilities for advanced technology vehicles manufacturing

H.R. 2378 – The Currency Reform and Fair Trade Act

H.R. 2454 – American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

H.R. 2751 – Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009

H.R. 3012 – The Trade Act of 2009

H.R. 3017 – Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009

H.R. 3042 – Forewarn Act

H.R. 4268 – Put America to Work Act of 2009

H.R. 4393 – To authorize the Secretary of Commerce to reduce the matching requirement for participants in the MEP Program

H.R. 4812 – Local Jobs for America Act

Additional Resources

Cash for Clunkers Program

GAO Report Requested by Dingell on Offshoring Services

Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth

House Committee on Education and Labor

House Committee on Energy and Commerce - Trade

U.S. Department of Labor