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WASHINGTON - All six of Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Representatives sent a stern letter to National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President John Engler this week, criticizing the organization for putting the partisan nature of its agenda ahead of the American manufacturers the group purports to represent. The letter comes on the heels of NAM’s recent decision to withhold its support for federal legislation that would address China’s currency manipulation, a top priority of many domestic manufacturing firms. NAM has previously acknowledged undervaluation of the Chinese yuan and its effects on American manufacturing, but refuses to call for meaningful action from the Bush Administration or Congress. The letter was signed by Reps. Dale E. Kildee, John D. Dingell, Sander Levin, John Conyers, Bart Stupak, and Carolyn C. Kilpatrick.
“NAM is supposed to represent American manufacturers, but clearly they only care about propping up the Bush Administration’s agenda and the harmful practices of foreign governments” said Congressman Dale E. Kildee (D-Flint). “American manufacturers are hurting due to Chinese currency manipulation, but NAM’s only answer is to call for reports piled on top of studies followed up by white papers, so long as no meaningful action ever takes place. NAM’s agenda is now being questioned by its own members and it’s time to ask if NAM’s priorities really match those of the companies it claims to represent.”
Congressman John D. Dingell (D-Dearborn) added: “NAM’s actions don’t help the small manufacturer at all, but they definitely help the Shanghai Board of Trade. Clearly NAM’s leadership is more concerned with politics than sound policy. I hope they reconsider this decision.”
“It is no surprise that NAM refuses to stand up for Michigan workers,” said Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee). “The exodus of manufacturing jobs from Michigan began under Governor John Engler’s watch and as president of NAM he continues to promote the same misguided policies that benefit foreign companies and penalize Michigan workers.”
On September 28, NAM’s Board of Directors decided to withhold its support of H.R. 1498, a bill that would have expanded the ability of domestic manufacturers to take action against China due to currency manipulation. The board’s decision contradicted the recommendation of the group’s economic policy committee and has since created a wide rift in the trade group as member companies have publicly questioned Engler’s decision to refuse to stand up for a top priority of many domestic manufacturers.
H.R. 1498 is supported by many small and medium-sized American companies that produce almost exclusively in the U.S. and compete with Chinese imports. NAM refused to endorse the bill and has urged little more than continued negotiation between the Treasury Department and a Chinese government that has shown no interest in changing its damaging currency practices. The Bush Administration also supports negotiations with the Chinese government and opposed H.R. 1498 despite its wide bipartisan support.
In the letter, the six Democrats cite the 1 in 3 manufacturing jobs lost since 1999 as evidence that NAM should be actively supporting legislation to fight currency abuses that have devastated American manufacturers. Instead, the organization has focused on supporting legislation that is secondary and sometimes irrelevant to domestic manufacturers while ignoring more important bills. As evidence, the six Representatives cited seven specific issues and votes on important manufacturing issues that were omitted by NAM in the organization’s recent Voting Record scorecard for the 109th Congress.
The six Representatives stated that NAM’s recent actions “were highly inaccurate of their efforts on behalf of the manufacturers and instead indicates an overtly partisan and skewed agenda that does not reflect upon the real issues of concerns to manufacturers and workers in Michigan and the country.”
“It’s interesting how NAM’s excuses on issues like addressing Chinese currency manipulation fall in lock-step with those of the Bush Administration” said Kildee. “Ignoring this manipulation has been nothing short of devastating to domestic manufacturers and workers, as evidenced by the 3 million manufacturing jobs lost since 2001. With that track record, I wonder why an organization like NAM, who is supposed to stand up for our manufacturers, continues to blindly support the Administration’s agenda.”
The text of the letter to NAM is below; the signed letter is attached.
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October 18, 2006
The Honorable John Engler, President
National Association of Manufacturers
1331 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Governor Engler:
We are writing as Members of Congress from Michigan to express our strong concerns with the overtly partisan and often irrelevant agenda of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for the manufacturers and working men and women in our state and nation.
As you well know, Michigan has lost nearly 1 in 3 manufacturing jobs since 1999 and we still face a tough road ahead. Of course, manufacturers in our state are not helped when the organization that is supposed to represent in them in Washington, D.C. either opposes or ignores measures that would benefit them. While NAM has certainly shown a lack of ability to address the real issues facing domestic manufacturers in previous years, your recent decision to not support and actually display open hostility towards legislation to address China’s currency manipulation (H.R. 1498 & S. 295) is truly concerning. This currency manipulation is a real concern to American manufacturers and workers and should be of concern to all Americans considering our nation’s current record and growing trade deficit with China.
Unfortunately, NAM does not seem to recognize this concern and instead focuses its narrow, partisan agenda on issues which are mostly irrelevant and sometimes even harmful to the majority of manufacturers in Michigan and the United States. This is seen most clearly in NAM’s Congressional Voting Record scorecard from the 109th and previous Congresses. Interestingly, between the 106th and 109th Congresses, Michigan’s six Democratic U.S. Representatives scored an average 13% voting record on NAM’s supposed “key votes.”
These very low grades were quite concerning, until we looked at the basis of the scores and learned that the votes NAM scores Members of Congress only on certain votes and issues that are clearly partisan and have little if anything to do with helping the majority of Michigan and American manufacturers and workers. For example, the following efforts on behalf of Michigan and American manufacturers were not scored (and sometimes not even supported) by NAM, but were backed by all or many Members from the Michigan Congressional Delegation:
1) Adequate funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program.
2) Vote on H.R. 250, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act to help coordinate federal manufacturing research and development efforts (109th Congress).
3) Vote on the motion to recommit on H.R. 4297, which would have extended the research and development tax credit (109th Congress).
4) Increased funding for the Economic Development Administration.
5) Vote on the Larson Amendment to H.R. 250 to establish a Manufacturing and Technology Administration in the Department of Commerce (109th Congress).
6) Tax legislation to encourage U.S. manufacturers to keep their factories at home.
7) Vote on the Gordon Amendment to H.R. 3598 to increase funding for the MEP program by 10 percent a year, starting in fiscal year 2005, continuing through fiscal year 2008 (108th Congress).
These are just some examples of issues that are of importance to American manufacturers and workers that were not scored by NAM, but supported by us and many other Members of Congress. For this reason, it would seem to us that our supposedly terrible voting record with NAM is highly inaccurate of our efforts on behalf of the manufacturers and instead reflects an overtly partisan and skewed agenda that does not reflect upon the real issues of concern to manufacturers and workers in Michigan and this country.
In closing, we strongly suggest NAM revaluate its priorities and work to stem its growing partisanship and irrelevancy to the concerns facing American manufacturers and workers. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Dale Kildee, M.C. John Dingell, M.C.
Sander Levin, M.C. John Conyers, M.C.
Bart Stupak, M.C. Carolyn Kilpatrick, M.C. |
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