Senator Stabenow: American Workers Must Come First in Electric Vehicle Future

Senator Stabenow Makes the Case for Her Electric Vehicle Tax Credit During Event with President Biden

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow today spoke at General Motors’ Factory ZERO opening to welcome President Biden to Michigan and highlight the future of electric vehicles. During her remarks, she made the case for her electric vehicle tax credit legislation, which is included in the Build Back Better Act.

 

Senator Stabenow’s electric vehicle legislation will put more American-made electric vehicles on the road and ensure that the workers making the vehicles have good wages, benefits and safety standards.

 

A video of her remarks can be found here. A transcript of her remarks as delivered can be found below: 

 

“It’s always great to be with the home team! And it’s wonderful to have a President of the United States who knows who the home team is!

 

“Thank you Mary Barra and the outstanding GM team. Thank you Ray Curry and the great members of the UAW! We in the Michigan delegation have your back.

 

“The infrastructure bill the President signed this week is a critical step in investing in our future. And I am so glad my bill to strengthen Buy American laws is in it. 

 

“Now we are focused on the next step.

 

“The global pandemic has shown us what happens when we are dependent on parts made halfway around the world. We need semiconductor chips made here. We need battery cells and component parts made here. And that’s exactly what Build Back Better does. You’re doing your part to own our transportation future. It is up to us to be your partners and we are.

 

“Electric charging stations are now being built. Now we got to create the tax incentives to build our supply chains here and bring our jobs home. And we are also improving the consumer rebate you can use right when you purchase your new vehicle. Special thanks to Congressman Kildee for leading our effort in the House.

 

“And let me be clear: Yes, we want that rebate to be used for vehicles made in America. Yes, we want you to receive a bonus if it’s made by the workers who built the middle class of our country, the UAW.

 

“You may have heard, there are some foreign auto makers led by Toyota who are fighting our efforts. And I think it takes a lot of nerve for an auto company based in Japan where they make it almost impossible for us to sell to them in Japan, where they receive government funding and consumer rebates in Japan, where they have a union labor force in Japan, in fact everywhere except in America by the way where they fight tooth and nail against Americans who try to organize.

 

“It takes a lot of nerve for them to fight our effort to have a consumer bonus for buying vehicles made by the United Auto Workers.

 

“I call this just ‘leveling the playing field.’ And I am committed to supporting the home team and leading this effort in the Senate!

 

“Thank you GM. Thank you UAW for building our transportation future.”

 

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