Ohio’s Democratic Senator is blasting General Motors for planning to close the Lordstown plant in March, and says Congress needs to change the tax code to prevent companies from benefitting from that action in the future.
Sen. Sherrod Brown says workers are being hurt by GM’s decision, which would eliminate the plant’s remaining 1,500 jobs.
“While people’s lives were being upended in the Mahoning Valley and around the country, parents were having painful discussions at the kitchen tables, Wall Street traders, as is their want, were celebrating,” Brown said. “Look at their stock prices – it went up. Wall Street and its cronies in Washington don’t value work. They don’t understand the dignity of work.”
Brown says he’s going to talk to President Trump and is working with Congressional leaders on a bill to take away a big tax incentive for companies to move out of the U.S. His legislation, proposed in August, would give customers a $3,500 discount on cars made in America and stop tax breaks for automakers that move jobs overseas. It's now in the Senate Finance Committee.
Trump criticized Brown for failing to stop the closure of Lordstown’s plant, which manufactures the unpopular Chevy Cruze.
"Ohio wasn't properly represented by their Democrat senator, Senator Brown, because he didn't get the point across," Trump told the Wall Street Journal.
Trump did not place any blame on Ohio’s Republican governor, John Kasich, or Senator, Rob Portman.
Brown says Trump should stop “pointing fingers” and take action. Trump has suggested withholding subsidies from GM in retaliation for the plant closures.
"I'll stand up for my record fighting for American workers against this president's, any day, on any issue," Brown said in response.
At a rally near the Lordstown plant last year, Trump told people not to sell their homes because factory jobs are "coming back. They're all coming back." Brown said people in the Mahoning Valley area trusted Trump, so it's time for him to "live up to his promise."
Brown is currently considering a 2020 presidential run.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is urging the House Ways and Means Committee to investigate how GM is using millions of dollars in tax cuts. He says Congress approved the cuts with the promise they would benefit American workers.
“I think it’s entirely appropriate for us to say, 'Look you guys got $150 million in this corporate tax cut.' We were told that this was gonna go back to plants, workers, pensions and everything else," Ryan says. "A year, year-and-a half-later, 14,000 people are losing their jobs and five plants are being closed.”
GM announced it will build a new plant in Mexico.
