November 2, 2005

Governor Traveling to Washington to Meet with Michigan Delegation

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today asked President Bush to convene a meeting of his economic team, manufacturing industry officials, labor leaders, and members of Congress to discuss and explore a rapid and effective federal government response to the extraordinary problems facing the nation’s manufacturing sector.
 
Granholm also announced she will travel to Washington on November 16 to meet with Michigan’s Congressional Delegation to lay out an agenda for the White House meeting.  Additionally, she is sending a letter to her fellow governors asking for their support on this very critical economic issue.
 
“Recent developments in one of America's proudest industrial sectors, the automobile industry, continue to underscore the depth and broad significance of the severe problems facing the U.S. manufacturing base,” Granholm wrote in her letter to the White House. “Pension liabilities, ever-increasing health care costs, and an unlevel international playing field are all contributing to deep financial crisis that will impact not just the automotive sector and broader manufacturing base, but our nation's entire economy.”
 
Granholm called for a discussion about possible federal administrative and legislative actions that will help American manufacturers better compete in the global marketplace and bolster this vital sector of our national economy.
 
“The American automobile industry's direct and indirect reach affects the economies and employment of every state, but nowhere more so than Michigan,” Granholm added.  “We are home to the automotive Big Three, and last year we produced approximately one out of every four vehicles assembled in America.  Indeed, in Michigan, more than 250,000 jobs are tied directly to vehicle manufacturing.”

Over the past few months, Granholm has had conversations with the leadership of the Big Three automakers, large automotive suppliers such as Delphi, and the United Auto Workers (UAW).  The Governor noted that while these business and labor leaders differ on certain issues, on one point they are unanimous:  the automobile industry is in dire and immediate need of a federal response to the crisis facing this critically important industrial sector.
 
In October, the Governor called on Michigan’s Congressional Delegation to work with her in a bipartisan, cooperative effort to urge the White House to advance policies that will positively impact the nation’s manufacturing sector and the working families that depend on it.

 “The federal government needs to do its part to recognize the importance of manufacturing to our American economy, and it needs to implement policies that help American manufacturers compete in the global marketplace,” Granholm said. 
 
The Governor noted that with major manufacturers and their employees demonstrating a willingness to respond to these new economic realities by making difficult choices that require sacrifices from all parties, and with the state doing its part to make sure Michigan is friendly to all businesses, especially manufacturers, it is now time for the federal government to do its part, too.
 
Granholm outlined potential federal actions that would help Michigan workers, their families and their communities prosper by protecting the state’s manufacturing base.  The actions would also help retain and expand jobs in thousands of manufacturing-dependent businesses and leverage vital federal support for companies that are laboring to reduce structural costs, improve productivity, and preserve high-skilled jobs.
 
The Governor’s proposals also address the high cost of health care, protect the pensions of those who have worked a lifetime to help build a company’s strength, and ensure that our trade laws and international trade agreements do not give unfair advantage to our competitors.