WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Sander Levin, John Dingell and Gary Peters today sent a letter to House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, who was quoted in Politico today referring to the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program as “a government subsidy for failing industries.” The Michigan Democrats sent the following letter:

Dear Chairman Rogers:

We were disappointed last night to read in Politico your reference to the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program as “a government subsidy for failing industries.”

Since 2009, it is estimated that the loans – which must be paid back to the U.S. Treasury in full – have financed investments that have created or saved 42,000 jobs in the United States. Those workers and the hundreds of thousands of other Americans who have helped to revitalize the U.S. automotive industry in the last few years would surely take issue with your characterization.

Hardly a failing industry, our nation’s auto sector has demonstrated a remarkable turnaround this year. Ford reported its biggest profit in a dozen years. General Motors’ profit was the largest since 2000. Chrysler is back in the black. Automotive employment is up more than 11 percent from two years ago, to 584,600 in June of this year.

Sen. Carl Levin owns a Chevy Volt. We’d like to invite you to give it a test drive and see what it’s like behind the wheel of a car that’s reflective of an industry coming back strongly and far from failing.

Sincerely,

Sander M. Levin                                 John D. Dingell                                     Gary C. Peters
Member of Congress                        Member of Congress                            Member of Congress
 

###