In Detroit, the congressional dean passes his torch

In Detroit, the congressional dean passes his torch

Detroit, MI – It was a morning that featured plenty of applause. But John Dingell, hands down, received the biggest round.

When the 88-year-old congressman took the podium Wednesday morning at the post-primary Democratic Unity breakfast held at Wayne State University, it marked the beginning of a long-anticipated transition.

But Dingell’s remarks sounded little like those of a retiring statesman, and instead struck a tone that sounded more like an excited campaigner gearing up for one last battle.

“The challenge is yours, the challenge is ours. The hopes of the country rests with us. Are we up to it?” Dingell told the 100 or so Michigan Democrats gathered for the breakfast. “We are here to win the next election. We need to get those Republicans out of Lansing. And get them out of Washington!”

The longest-serving member of Congress was passing on the torch, with his wife Debbie formally nominated as the Democratic nominee to replace him in his left-leaning district and his colleague John Conyers eager to take on the role of “Dean of the House.”

But, as anyone who has interacted with Dingell would expect, he had a few more things to say before yielding the microphone.

Dingell dressed down House Republicans, focusing his 10-minute remarks largely on the infighting that has characterized GOP control of the House since 2010.

“It’s the strangest party that I’ve ever seen, the Republicans. They’re so busy fighting each other they don’t have time to fight the Democrats,” Dingell declared. “You kind of feel sorry for John Boehner, who is a very decent man, 'cause he has to deal with all of those crackpots.”

The dream of a Democratic majority colored the comments of Conyers, who faced an electoral scare earlier this year when he initially failed to turn in enough signatures to get on the ballot.

But once he secured a ballot spot, Conyers – who has been in the House since 1965 -- coasted to victory.

He said he hopes his time as Congress's longest serving member will be remembered as a period in which the Democrats can take back the House.

“I see a lot of opportunity here. I’m looking for a Democratic resurgence nationally” Conyers said in an interview with the Post following the breakfast. “The Republicans…seem to have had a lot of turmoil.”

He, like Dingell, said that House Democrats must take advantage of infighting between the GOP House leadership and the more conservative wing of the Republican Party in order to win back the House in future years.

“That’s still ongoing, and that’s where our opportunity comes in. The tea party is willing to take the Republican moderates over the cliff. They’ve made that pretty clear.”

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Congressman John Conyers Salutes the Career of Congressman John Dingell

John Dingell (D- MI). Conyers pledges to run another term and continue the legacy of great leadership
to citizens of Michigan. Moreover, Conyers thanks Rep. Dingell for all of all that he is done while in
Congress, including giving him an opportunity to work in his district office before seeking election to
United States Congress in 1964.

“John Dingell has set the standard for honorable leadership in the United States House of Representatives. His Democratic leadership will be sorely missed.”

U.S. Representatives John Dingell and John Conyers, Jr.

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Conyers and All House Democratic Michigan Members Urge Construction of New International Bridge

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For Immediate Release
Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Contact: Matthew Morgan – 202-226-5543

Conyers and All House Democratic Michigan Members Urge Construction of New International Bridge

(Washington D.C). – Today, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-M14.) and Representatives Hansen Clarke (D-M13), John Dingell (D-M15), Dale Kildee (D-M05), Sander Levin (D-M12), and Gary Peters (D-M09) sent a letter to Speaker of the Michigan House Bolger, Michigan House Minority Leader Hammel, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Richardville, and Michigan Senate Minority Leader Whitmer urging the Michigan legislature to prioritize the passage of legislation authorizing the construction of the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) project early in the 2012 legislative session.

The NITC project will create a world-class international bridge and secure a transportation corridor with Michigan’s largest trading partner, Canada.  It will create 10,000 new construction jobs for Michigan workers and generate more than $2 billion in federal matching highway funds for Michigan roads.  

The letter is attached as a pdf and the text follows below:

January 18, 2012

The Honorable Randy Richardville                                             The Honorable Jase Bolger

Majority Leader                                                                                Speaker

Michigan Senate                                                                               Michigan House of Representatives

P.O. Box 30036                                                                                   P. O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909                                                                             Lansing, MI 48909

The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer                                            The Honorable Richard Hammel

Minority Leader                                                                                 Minority Leader

Michigan Senate                                                                                Michigan House of Representatives

P.O. Box 30036                                                                                    P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909                                                                              Lansing, MI 48909

Dear Speaker Bolger and Leaders Richarville, Whitmer, and Hammel:

As you prepare for the 2012 session of the Michigan Legislature, we write to urge you to prioritize the passage of legislation that will allow work to begin on the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) project.  Michigan desperately needs the 10,000 construction jobs and $2 billion in federal matching highway funds that would be immediately provided by this project.  Additionally, the NITC will strengthen our nation’s bond with Canada – Michigan’s largest trading partner – by providing a secure alternative route to Ontario and significantly increasing the capacity for increased trade between our two countries.

Constructing a second bridge at the Detroit-Windsor crossing will help grow the 237,000 Michigan jobs that depend on trade with Canada.  The NITC would provide six new lanes, bringing the total to ten between Detroit and Windsor, while also directly connecting 1-75 to Highway 401.  These additional lanes will help prevent the delays that cost Michigan’s shippers and manufacturers millions of dollars each year.  Chrysler estimates that current delays at the Detroit-Windsor crossing add more than $600 to the average car manufactured in our region.  Without a second bridge, these delays will likely grow worse, with truck traffic across the border expected to double by 2035.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has stated that Canada’s $550 million investment in the crossing’s customs plaza will allow Michigan to receive nearly $2 billion in matching for road construction projects across the state.  If the NITC project is approved early in the 2012 legislative session, construction projects across the state could begin putting thousands of Michiganders back to work this year fixing our state’s highway infrastructure and speeding our state’s economic recovery.  

We believe the case for moving forward with the NITC project is clear.  The NITC project poses no fiscal risk to the state, as the cost of this $1.3 billion dollar investment in Michigan will be borne completely by private investors and the U.S. and Canadian governments.  Further, should the tolls collected from the bridge fall short of the dollars needed to repay Canadian or private investors, the Canadian government has agreed to cover any revenue short fall.   In short, this project is no risk, all reward for Michigan taxpayers.  

  

Construction of the NITC will ensure that Michigan keeps its edge and continues to be a leading conduit for the $62 billion in annual bilateral trade between the United States and Canada.  We urge you to pass authorizing legislation as soon as possible so that we can begin to transition the Detroit-Windsor crossing into a modern, multi-modal system that creates jobs in Michigan and guarantees safe, secure, and efficient commerce across our northern border. 

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.                                                              Hansen Clarke

MEMBER OF CONGRESS                                             MEMBER OF CONGRESS

John D. Dingell                                                                 Gary Peters

MEMBER OF CONGRESS                                             MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Sander Levin                                                                     Dale E. Kildee

MEMBER OF CONGRESS                                             MEMBER OF CONGRESS

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