Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman says he hasn’t given up the fight to keep the GM plant in Lordstown open and its 1,500 workers employed.
Portman says he knew the Lordstown-produced Chevy Cruze has not been selling well recently. But he says General Motor’s leaders have not provided him with many specifics about why they decided to close the plant rather than manufacturing another vehicle there.
Still, Portman says he’s working with incoming Governor Mike DeWine and they are not giving up.
“I think there’s an opportunity here, working together, to put together a package to get them to make the investment in Lordstown," Portman says.
Portman says he doesn’t believe the fight over tariffs had anything to do with the company’s decision to close the plant.
Portman's colleague Sen. Sherrod Brown has been pushing for Congress to consider his legislation that would boost the nation's auto industry.
His bill, introduced in August, would give customers a $3,500 discount on cars made in America and also seek to stop tax cuts on overseas profits from automakers that move overseas. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, President Trump blamed Brown - but not Portman - for GM's decision to close the Lordstown plant.
"Ohio wasn't properly represented by their Democratic senator, Sherrod Brown, because he didn't get the point across," Trump said.
Trump has threatened to withhold subsidies from GM in retaliation for their decision to close five plants across the country.
