Merkley Statement on Closing of Freightliner

Another Sign of Failed Bush-Smith Economic Policy

Today, Daimler announced that it would close the Freightliner plant in Portland in 2010. U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley issued the following statement on the closure:

"The workers at Freightliner in Oregon are some of the hardest working people in the world. Hundreds have lost their jobs because good-paying jobs have become America's biggest export. This must end. We need to make things again in America and create living wage jobs here at home.

"The news today is saddening but not surprising. We've already lost many living wage jobs at Freightliner due to unfair trade and tax policies that ship jobs overseas. This closure is another blow to our economy at a time when we simply cannot afford to lose good-paying jobs.

"Oregon has already lost 70,000 jobs due to unfair trade deals supported by the Bush Administration and rubberstamped by Gordon Smith. These additional job losses will be added to that dismal record and are yet another sign of the failures of the Bush-Smith economic policies.

"For the last eight years, Gordon Smith and George Bush have supported an economic policy that represents special interests rather than working families. Gordon Smith actually said one of his major accomplishments was the creation of a new tax break that gave 265 billion dollars to the largest international corporations and resulted in job losses here at home. And he has proudly approved trade policies that have put our workers at a disadvantage.

"We need to do better. We need to fix those unfair trade agreements to put American companies and American workers on a fair playing field. We need to end the tax loopholes that actually subsidize construction of factories overseas. We need to give a tax break to 95% of workers and their families. And finally, we need to do nationally what we've done in Oregon and invest in green energy to create new living wage jobs here at home."

Jeff Merkley is the only candidate in this race to have released a detailed plan to get the American economy back on track. More details on that plan can be found here.

Posted October 14, 2008
Press