Slotkin, Stevens bills to push Congress to drive union-made cars

• Democratic lawmakers U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Sen. Elissa Slotkin are each introducing payments to require members of Congress to drive union-made vehicles.
• At the moment, there is no such thing as a requirement for lawmakers to drive union vehicles when conducting authorities enterprise.
• The invoice comes as Stevens competes in a good Democratic main for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin plan to introduce laws that may make it unlawful for members of Congress to make use of their annual congressional budgets to purchase or drive something aside from U.S. union-made vehicles.

The transfer comes as Stevens competes within the Democratic main for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. A latest Emerson Faculty ballot confirmed Stevens (16.5%) trailing state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak (22.4%) by about 8 proportion factors. Former Wayne County Well being Director Abdul El-Sayed adopted Stevens carefully with 15.9% of Democratic main voters polled, although greater than a 3rd of respondents stated they had been nonetheless undecided.

The payments are anticipated to be launched in each the Senate and the Home of Representatives on Tuesday, February 3. At the moment, there is no such thing as a requirement for members of Congress to buy or lease a specific car.

“Michigan autoworkers put the world on wheels, they usually should know their elected leaders have their again,” Stevens stated in a information launch. “This invoice ensures we put money into our American auto trade and the union employees who energy it.”

The laws, which might face an uphill battle, is titled The Make Congress Drive Union Made Act. The UAW has endorsed the trouble. In a press release, Rajiv Sicora, the union’s legislative director, supported the invoice.

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“Within the labor motion we ask one query of our elected officers: which facet are you on?Sicora wrote. “The Make Congress Drive Union-Made Act would guarantee members of Congress get up for the union means of their car selections – supporting the generations of auto employees constructing not simply vehicles, however a greater financial future constructed on solidarity.”

The UAW has not but endorsed a candidate within the race for the soon-to-open Senate seat. The union lately endorsed Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald for lawyer common and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist within the race for secretary of state.

Neither Stevens nor Slotkin’s invoice has obtained co-sponsorship from a Republican lawmaker, making passage of this laws by the 2 Democratic lawmakers unlikely, at the very least for now. Each chambers of Congress are in Republican fingers.

Workers author Todd Spangler contributed to this report. Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.