Congressman Sander Levin

Jobs, Manufacturing and the Economy

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Economic conditions have been difficult in Michigan for years, and now the U.S. economy is also in turmoil. Congress has taken steps this year to address the nation’s economic hardships, but more action must be taken quickly.

Earlier this year, the House and Senate approved an economic recovery package that included a tax rebate for 4 million Michigan households, injecting approximately $3.5 billion into our state’s economy. Congress also enacted a nationwide, 13-week unemployment insurance extension to help workers who had lost their jobs through no fault of their own; stopped oil deliveries to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, adding 70,000 gallons of oil per day to the market; and, in response to the foreclosure crisis, enacted legislation to help keep at least 400,000 families from losing their homes by helping them refinance into more affordable loans.

But it is clear that many American families continue to struggle. That’s why I support a new economic recovery plan to further stimulate growth and create new jobs.

This economic recovery plan should include a program to provide low-interest loans to U.S. automakers and parts suppliers to retool their manufacturing facilities to build advance technology, fuel efficient vehicles such as plug-in hybrids and electric cars here in America. Building these next generation automobiles here will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create new jobs.

With the nation continuing to lose jobs rapidly, this recovery package should also include a further extension of unemployment insurance benefits. The number of long term unemployed (unemployed for six months or more) is well over twice as high as it was during the last recession. Extending unemployment insurance not only helps those struggling to find work, experts widely agree that extending benefits is one of the best methods available for stimulating the economy, as benefits are quickly distributed and circulated back into the economy.

And Congress must enact comprehensive energy legislation to help provide relief at the pump and help our nation become more independent of foreign oil. I strongly supported a such an energy plan recently passed by the House to provide long term solutions to our dependence on foreign oil by promoting efficiency and investing in renewable energy. To provide short term relief, I also support releasing 10% of the oil available in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (70 million barrels) to increase market supply to drive down fuel costs.