First, Sen. Sherrod Brown sent out an angry statement reacting to reports that GM was considering exporting cars from China.
Now, a handful of other Democrats in the Ohio delegation - as well as Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who’s running for the U.S. Senate - are piping in.
In the U.S. House, Reps. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Twp., Tim Ryan, D-Niles and John Boccieri, D-Alliance, wrote a letter to the CEOs of GM and Chrysler complaining about a GM plan calling for a 98 percent increase in the number of vehicles imported from Mexico, Japan and China and Chrysler’s decision to close plants around the nation.
“The decision to lay off American workers while expanding opportunities abroad is extremely disturbing to those of us who have worked hard to save these vital manufacturing jobs,” the trio wrote along with U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan of Missouri in a joint statement. “United Auto Workers have made extraordinary concessions to help these companies stay afloat. These are dedicated, hardworking Americans, not simply a bottom line.”
Brunner, meanwhile, also sent out a statement criticizing the automakers’ decision.
“When America’s taxpayers are footing the bill to the tune of billions to keep these car giants afloat, they deserve to know how and why the money is being spent. While cuts may be inevitable in the process, decisions to manufacture cars overseas and sell them in the U.S., while cutting jobs at dealerships who sell them, may be just short of ludicrous to American taxpayers,” Brunner said.
She said GM should be using stimulus money to invest in fuel-efficient car manufacturing in the United States.
Brunner faces Democrat Lee Fisher in the May 2010 Democrat primary for U.S. Senate. She hopes to replace retiring U.S. Sen. George Voinovich. Former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman is the lone Republican in that race.