President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address Tuesday night, and 12th District Congresswoman Debbie Dingell was in attendance. She spoke to WEMU's David Fair about her thoughts on the speech, including such issues as the automotive industry and immigration.
Dingell's post address statement:
"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) released the following statement on President Trump’s State of the Union Address.
“Tonight, President Trump outlined his plans for the future. While there are some concepts tonight where we can work together, there are others that are deeply concerning for Michigan and our country. My approach continues to be this: I will work with the President where I can and fight him where I have to.
“What matters more than the words the President said tonight is his actions. He must deliver on the promises he made to the working men and women I represent, including renegotiating NAFTA in a way that ends outsourcing, raises wages and brings manufacturing back to this country. He needs to work with Congress to address the pension crisis and bring relief to the millions of workers who face staggering cuts to the retirement they’ve earned. We need to work together on a real infrastructure plan that devotes the resources necessary to fixing our crumbling roads and bridges and updating broadband and water infrastructure – one that fixes potholes rather than gutting environmental protections.
“Finally, we need to work together to tackle comprehensive immigration reform. This is not a war of words between Republicans and Democrats. This is about real people’s lives. I was joined at the speech by Cindy Garcia, an American citizen born in Royal Oak, Michigan – a UAW working mom who is trying to do the right thing, but whose family has been ripped apart by our broken immigration system. Cindy's husband Jorge was brought to this country at 10 years old and has never received so much as a traffic ticket. He was not a criminal or a gang member. He was a respected member of our community, a hard worker who paid taxes, helped many and was loved by all. Yet he was deported to Mexico, a country he doesn't know and his family is devastated. America was his home.
“The American people want to see us work together to get things done – from crafting an immigration policy that secures our nation without tearing families apart to stabilizing the health insurance marketplace in a way that brings down costs and ensures every American has access to affordable quality health care. That is our job – to work for working men and women. We need to work together to deliver for the American people.”
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— David Fair is the WEMU News Director and host of Morning Edition on WEMU. You can contact David at 734.487.3363, on twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or email him at dfair@emich.edu
