| Hi there,
Michigan is the birthplace of America’s middle class. It was here that we invented the assembly line and made the best cars and trucks in the world, while the workers that powered our industry earned a high enough wage to buy the cars they were building. It was a revolutionary idea.
But as we all know, manufacturing jobs have left Michigan – and the U.S. – these last few decades. That’s meant Michigan families have had fewer opportunities to get in and stay in the middle class, and our nation became increasingly dependent on overseas manufacturers for critical items.
Today, we’re making up ground by pursuing industrial policy that puts workers and domestic manufacturing first. Over the past six years, we’ve put some real points on the board.
Investing in America with the CHIPS & Science Act
As many Michiganders know, supply chain shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic throttled global trade of microchips, which are used today in just about every electronic product you use – including cars.
As a result, thousands of vehicles rolled off Michigan assembly lines only to sit in lots while we waited for the chips that made their tech work. And when those chips took too long, plants shut down and Michigan auto workers missed their paychecks.
In response, Congress passed the CHIPS & Science Act, which I strongly supported and will invest billions in advanced manufacturing to ensure we make these essential products in America, create high-paying jobs, and rebuild American industry.
The legislation is already paying serious dividends – with microchip manufacturing projects already underway across the country. In fact, a Michigan company received investment just earlier this fall.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
For decades, Washington lawmakers have talked about finally fixing our crumbling infrastructure, but in 2022 we actually got it done.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a landmark piece of legislation that will put $1 trillion towards repairing and rebuilding America’s roads, bridges, tunnels, and more. These investments will make a generational impact on our state and nation, driving economic activity and creating thousands and thousands of good-paying jobs.
Dirt is already moving on projects around the country – including here in Michigan, where crews are hard at work repairing our highway infrastructure.
Expanding American energy and creating jobs along the way
In 2022, Congress passed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act. Among historic measures to lower the cost of prescription drugs and the national debt, the legislation made the largest-ever investment in American clean energy.
It put billions towards major projects that will help expand American clean energy and make us independent. Over the past two years, Michigan has been awarded the most projects out of any state in the country, which has brought over $26 billion in new investment to our state and created over 21,000 good-paying jobs.
In the coming years, this investment will continue to pay dividends for our state, attracting new business and creating more and more jobs.
We’ve made incredible progress bringing industry and good-paying jobs back to Michigan, but there remains so much work to be done building an economy that allows workers to get in and stay in the middle class. I’m looking forward to continuing that work and getting the job done.
– Rep. Elissa Slotkin |
