Representative Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, said during a Saturday appearance on Fox News Live that Democrats won't necessarily automatically oppose policies supported by President-elect Donald Trump, and in fact, she is "looking forward" to working with him on trade in particular.
Newsweek has reached out to Dingell's and Trump's communications team for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Democrats have long been critical of Trump, both during his first term and in their rhetoric on the campaign trial. However, since his electoral victory in November, some Democratic lawmakers have begun discussing areas where they might find common ground with the president-elect.
The economy was a key focus of Trump's 2024 campaign, with pledges to reduce inflation and impose trade tariffs on foreign nations. Ahead of taking office, Trump has floated the ideas of a possible 60 percent tariff on all Chinese-produced goods.
During his first term, Trump issued tariffs against China. The Biden administration has maintained $300 billion-worth of Trump's China tariffs and even increased some. The Biden administration in September announced it would add tariffs ranging from 7.5 to 100 percent to Chinese products such as solar cells, semiconductors, medical supplies, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries.
What To Know
Dingell, chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, told co-host Griff Jenkins that "Democrats are committed to fighting for the people we represent, addressing the issues that we want, and if we can do it in a bipartisan way we will."
Dingell said Democrats are "going to pick our fights" as the new administration prepares to take office in less than three weeks, adding that, "We're not going to—just because Donald Trump says something, doesn't mean we're going to take it on."
She continued: "When it's going to hurt the people we represent, if it's not good for the country or for our states, the people we represent, we will take it on."
The congresswoman told Jenkins that "an issue I am looking forward to working with Donald Trump on...is trade." Trump has proposed significant tariffs, bolstering domestic manufacturing, and reducing economic dependence on China, among other initiatives.
On Friday, President Joe Biden blocked Japan's Nippon Steel from buying United States Steel, saying in a statement: "A committee of national security and trade experts determined that a Nippon Steel acquisition of U.S. Steel would place one of America's largest steel producers under foreign control and create risk for our security and supply chains. I'm blocking the deal."
Dingell said she supported the move, saying it's "something Donald Trump agrees with...that's an economic security issue and a national security issue."
On Trump's tariff proposal, Dingell said, "Tariffs are a tool in the toolbox, they are something that should be used at an appropriate place. Like China is subsidizing its production of electric vehicles, not paying the workers that they are paying a decent a wage, I support a tariff on Chinese cars coming into this country."
She added, "We need to renegotiate USMCA [United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement] so China can't build plants in China and then market them in this country as North American vehicles."
Under USMCA, which Trump signed into law in 2020, 75 percent of a vehicle's components must be manufactured in North America to qualify for tariff exemptions, an increase from the 62.5 percent requirement under its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The Michigan congresswoman's district includes portions of Wayne County, home to Detroit, a hub of American car manufacturing.
Other Democrats, meanwhile, have signaled there are certain economic policy areas they would work with Trump on, such as raising the federal minimum wage and capping credit card interest rate limits.
What People Are Saying
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with Democrats, said in December about working with Trump on raising the federal minimum wage: "I hope that we can work in a bipartisan way to finally accomplish that goal."
Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, told NPR in December about joining the Republican-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) House caucus: "On some issues I'm progressive. On other issues I'm conservative, and I think that's how most of my constituents are. We take it issue by issue."
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, told Politico in November: "President Trump announced during his campaign that he intended to put a 10 percent interest rate cap on consumer credit. Bring it on."
What Happens Next
Newly elected members of Congress were officially sworn into the House and Senate on Friday. Republicans hold a slim majority in the House, with Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, narrowly retaining his position by one vote.
On January 20, Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States and is expected to introduce a series of economic reforms and policies.
:quality(85):upscale()/2024/04/24/878/n/3019466/36c5693c662965c5d1ce91.72473705_.jpg)
English (US) ·