WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the Senate Floor last night, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) slammed President Trump for failing to act to help Lordstown workers after making false promises to workers and families in the Mahoning Valley and boasting about auto jobs coming to Ohio as Lordstown workers are set to lose their jobs. Brown called President Trump’s remarks last week a slap in the face to Lordstown workers, and again called on the President today to step up and help Brown save the jobs of Lordstown workers.

“This week, GM is set to lay off thousands of workers in Lordstown, Ohio and around the country. And what’s the president’s response? Boasting nonsense and rubbing salt in these workers’ wounds. President Trump’s remarks are a slap in the face to these workers that he’s done nothing to help,” said Brown.

Brown spoke with President Trump about the Lordstown plant twice. He first called the President in June 2018 and asked him to help prevent job losses in Lordstown after GM announced plans to lay off the second shift. The President did nothing. Brown spoke with President Trump again in November, asked him to support his American Cars, American Jobs Act, and the President said he liked the bill. Brown’s office sent a copy of the bill to the White House, but no action was taken by the President.

In contrast, Brown is set this week to introduce his American Cars, American Jobs Act, which would benefit Ohio companies and workers throughout the auto supply chain. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing last September, an expert witness said Brown’s bill would ‘absolutely’ help American autoworkers. The Toledo Blade editorialized that Brown’s bill would “put America and American workers first.” 

Brown’s remarks on the Senate Floor, as prepared for delivery, are below.

This week, GM is set to lay off thousands of workers in Lordstown, Ohio and around the country.

And what’s the president’s response?

Boasting nonsense and rubbing salt in these workers’ wounds.

Last week he said, “we have car companies opening up in Michigan and Ohio and Pennsylvania and so many other places.”

I don’t know where these mystery factories are in Ohio that the president is bragging about. They certainly aren’t in Lordstown, where people are about to lose their jobs.

President Trump’s remarks are a slap in the face to these workers that he’s done nothing to help.

Mr. President, think about the workers who are out of a job at the end of the week. Think about their families. Think about the other businesses in Lordstown that are about to lose customers.

Remember what Donald Trump promised people in communities like Youngstown. He said that he’d fight for them and he’d fight for their jobs.

Last year, he told the people of the Mahoning Valley:

“Don’t move, don’t sell your house. We’re going to fill up those factories or rip them down and build new ones.”

He said: “We never again will sacrifice Ohio jobs and those in other states to enrich other countries.”

And those weren’t the only promises – over and over and over again, candidate Trump and then President Trump promised American autoworkers he would fight for their jobs.

In Warren in 2016 he said: “If I’m elected, you won’t lose one plant, I promise you that.”

  • In Michigan in the fall of 2016, he promised: “We will bring back your auto manufacturing business like you have never ever seen it before.”
  • In February 2017, he promised again: “A lot of jobs are going to be coming back into Ohio and Michigan and Pennsylvania and all the places that have been hurt so badly.”
  • In March 2017, he said: “The assault on the American auto industry, believe me, is over,”
  • Last year after GM announced the layoffs, he said “Ohio’s going to replace those jobs like in two minutes.”

Mr. President, the workers who are going to be out of a job by the end of the week are still waiting.

These people trusted him. They put their faith in him.

And what did Trump do? Instead of working to save their jobs, he turned around and handed corporations 50 percent off coupons to send their jobs overseas.

It’s all part of this president’s phony populism.

Instead, the president should join those of who are actually trying to save American auto jobs.

This week I’m once again introducing the American Cars, American Jobs Act.

It has two simple parts:

  • First: customers who buy cars that are made in the U.S. get a $3,500 discount. And if that American car is electric or a plug-in hybrid, they get an even bigger $4,500 discount.

Those are the cars GM said it was going to start making instead of the Cruze, and there’s no reason they can’t make them in Lordstown, instead of Mexico.

  • Second, companies that cut the number of American jobs they had on the day the GOP tax bill passed, and add those jobs overseas, lose their tax break.

It says that if you choose to send jobs overseas, you lose your 50 percent off coupon and pay the full 21 percent. On the other hand, if you keep jobs in the U.S., you keep your discounted rate.

I’m calling on the president – maybe try keeping your promises and actually fighting for autoworkers for a change, and help us pass the American Cars, American Jobs Act.

Let’s end the tax cut for corporations to shut down these American plants and move American jobs overseas.

If we love this country, let’s fight for the people who make it work.

 

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