news

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) joined Lori Wallach of Public Citizen at a Netroots Nation at Home Conference for a virtual discussion on how decades of misguided trade and tax policies have hurt America’s economy and domestic production capabilities, how President Trump has failed to fix this crisis and why Democrats must do so. 

“Given where we are right now in our fight against COVID-19, and our inability to make or get essential medical supplies, the shortcomings of US trade policies and tax policy that incentivize outsourcing have been put on full display,” said Dingell. “The current Administration has put forward policies that heightened the trade deficit and outsourced jobs, instead of enacting domestic trade and tax policies that put American workers first.”

“President Trump has botched our country’s COVID-19 response at every turn, which has spiraled into a crisis that has decimated much of the gains made in U.S. manufacturing over the last decade. His pursuit of reckless, ego-driven trade policies has exacerbated the damage for American workers, leading to an unemployment rate that continues to surpass rates at the peak of the Great Recession. It’s long past time we make our trade, economic and tax policies work for working people, said Khanna.” 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people across the United States have experienced the impacts of American manufacturing outsourcing the production of PPE, ventilators, and other medical supplies. For decades, trade and tax policies have incentivized outsourcing production to low-wage foreign countries, undermining the U.S. capacity to respond to the current pandemic. Under the current Administration, there has not been meaningful change to trade and tax policies that puts American workers first.

###