by Congressman John Dingell
We know how to make things in this country. Great things. No other country in the world has the manufacturing know-how of our workforce here in the United States of America. And Michigan has always been at the forefront of America’s manufacturing. For Michiganders and for all Americans, our manufacturing sector has a been a source of great pride and good-paying jobs.
We're a nation of leaders. American know-how put the world on wheels. American ingenuity made us the first in flight. And, through American innovation manufacturing will provide a strong foundation for economic growth.
There is no doubt that manufacturing has taken a severe hit from the recession, which began for manufacturing long before the rest of the economy. Democrats are fighting to turn the ship around with the Make it in America plan, because we know when we focus on manufacturing, we see success.
We are already seeing the success of investment in manufacturing in Michigan – new jobs are coming to our state because of a rigorous effort to invest in Michigan manufacturing. General Electric is bringing more than 1,000 new jobs to Southeast Michigan for green engineering; General Motors is building the lithium battery for the new Chevy Volt in Brownstown where it will eventually employ around 600 workers; and the federal investment partnership with companies like A123 Systems, Johnson Controls, and Dow Kokam will bring more than 1,800 jobs to Michigan in the coming years. It's a step in the right direction toward an economy that will create many good-paying jobs for Michiganders – through manufacturing.
Our plan will greatly expand on the success we’ve already had with specific policy initiatives to open up credit to small and large manufacturers to help them grow and hire new workers, create economic incentives for investment in manufacturing here in the Untied States, strengthen manufacturing infrastructure and innovation, and help to level the playing field for American manufacturers so they can successfully compete in a global marketplace.
Taxpayer dollars should not go to corporations who send our jobs overseas, but instead to companies creating good-paying jobs right here at home. By closing tax loopholes that allow outsourcing jobs overseas, we can create new Hometown Tax Credits for small businesses that create manufacturing jobs in Michigan and across the country. That will help level
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