On Election Day, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell won a resounding victory, taking 62 percent of the vote, to keep her seat in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Ann Arbor and most of Washtenaw County.
But Dingell and her fellow Democrats will continue to be in the minority in the U.S. House in the coming term. Dingell joined Michigan Public Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to talk about the election results in Michigan, her priorities for the coming term, and the issue that she and President-elect Donald Trump agree on.
Doug Tribou: Michigan’s often described as a purple political state, one that elects both red Republicans and blue Democrats and we saw that this time around in this election. Donald Trump won the state, but so did Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the U.S. Senate Race. Republicans took back the state House of Representatives, but the two Michigan Supreme Court candidates nominated by the Democratic Party won their seats.
What stood out to you about the results here in Michigan?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: Twenty years ago, I chaired the Al Gore campaign in Michigan. And people don't remember this, but Al Gore came back to Michigan the Monday night before the election instead of going to Florida because the numbers had tightened.
We are a very diverse state. We have working men and women who right now are struggling to get by. And I think Democrats who recognize that talked about the economy, understood if you go to the grocery store you were worried about the cost of milk and eggs, that's who got elected. I think people voted for the person that they thought understood them, understood their issues, and would fight for those issues.
DT: President-elect Trump has announced former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida as his nominee for U.S. attorney general. Gaetz resigned from the House last week. He had been the subject of a House ethics investigation and that report was expected to be released soon.
Now that’s in question because of his resignation, but some senators have said they’ll want to see the report before Gaetz’s attorney general confirmation process. Do you think that report will become public and would you support releasing it?
DD: I do support releasing it because I think that Congress has a very real responsibility for advise and consent. It is not the House responsibility, it is the United States Senate responsibility to confirm nominations to the cabinet. And I do believe, as an aside, that there are enough senators that have expressed real concern about Matt Gaetz that he's going to have a difficult time being confirmed.
But when there is something of that kind of nature, a character nature, it should be released. But I also have been around. I'm seasoned. I am not old, let me make that clear. Reports like this have a way of being leaked. So I would be surprised if we didn't at some point learn what was in it. But we should all be worried about the character of cabinet officers.
DT: President-elect Trump has vowed to impose tariffs on imported goods, including cars made in Mexico. Trump has also expressed concerns about Chinese-made vehicles hurting the American auto industry.
Last month, you sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce supporting a proposed rule that would prohibit the import or sale of internet-connected vehicle systems from manufacturers or distributors with ties to China or Russia. Is that an area where you and President-elect Trump might end up on the same page?
DD: We are on the same page. I have been very clear. I will work with the President when I can, and if I disagree strongly on something, I will be the Debbie that my constituents know. I will be firm. But the issues that you're talking about here, China subsidizes its companies. It doesn't pay employees a fair wage. And we are not competing on a level playing field.
I worked with President Trump on revising NAFTA, improving what the bill needed to be. What China's now trying to do is to sneak into our country by building plants in Mexico and avoiding any penalties. That doesn't fly. On the subject of connected vehicles and autonomous vehicles, these vehicles are collecting data on our country. That is an economic and national security issue. And I will work with the President and his cabinet to protect the economy and our security.
"These [Chinese-made] vehicles are collecting data on our country. That is an economic and national security issue."Rep. Dingell on why she supports a proposed rule blocking internet-connected vehicle systems from China and Russia
DT: Looking at tariffs more broadly, most economists say that they are likely to harm the U.S. economy. What is your view of Trump's plan for imposing tariffs on a broader scale beyond the auto industry?
DD: I have spent a great deal of time studying trade. I don't think you can make blanket statements. You have to look at what each of those issues are and see, where appropriate, who you're competing with. I mean, steel — the United States is losing its production of steel. That becomes a national security issue as well. And by the way, we are buying steel that doesn't have to meet the quality standards, the safety standards, environmental standards that we require in this country.
You don't want to see consumers' prices raised. We want to make sure that we are sensitive to that. But when you're not competing on a level playing field and you have other countries that come in, they just destroy your industries. Then they have a monopoly overseas and they raise their prices. And I will work with anyone and everyone to make sure we are protecting our country, our economy, our jobs.
DT: Republicans won enough races to keep a majority in the U.S. House in the coming term. They also won enough races to take control of the U.S. Senate. Do you have some legislative priorities that you think have a chance of getting through with Democrats in the minority?
DD: Well, I have a number of issues that I care about. I think for those of us in Michigan, one of the most bipartisan issues is protecting the Great Lakes. We have a strong bipartisan Great Lakes coalition. [Republican Michigan U.S. Representative] Bill Huizenga and I are co-chairs. We will be able to work on that.
I think it's very important we continue to make sure we get the lead out of every pipe across America.
And I have one personal one that I think is very important, too: caregiving. Not only for children and making sure that families have access to affordable child care. I'm very worried about, as we get older, that you be able to age with dignity and respect in your own home. And that people can find caregivers to do that. And we look at the caregiving system right now, which is designed for more institutional caregiving. So there are a lot of issues that I am focused on and going to be working on. And as I always have done, will work with people across the aisle.
Editor's note: Quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can hear the full interview near the top of this page.
