On the recordFebruary 14, 2024
It is a privilege to be on the House floor this evening, this Valentine's Day, collecting my thoughts and remembering a bit of history. We had quite the whirlwind year last year in Michigan and in this country. As I think about the fall, we were preparing to appropriate fiscal year 2024's authorizations, and we were stalemated and still in a continuing resolution of funding the government. At the same time, we were also witnessing our United Auto Workers union set forth a record strike effort, targeting all of the Big Three for what they dubbed as record profits, meaning a record contract. That was, in many respects, a whirlwind time period. Then, to add to it, our beloved ally in the Middle East, the only democratic nation in the Middle East, Israel, was attacked. Members of Congress, residents in Michigan, and people across this country, our heads were certainly spinning in many respects. For those of us tied to the auto industry, we were looking at the strike that took place, and we were being reminded of a little bit of history. We were being reminded why the UAW, at that moment, was saying we have record profits in the auto industry, but now we are looking for a record contract, because 15 years ago, the UAW made major concessions. They made major concessions during a strategic effort led by the Obama administration and carried over from the Bush administration.…





