Two days after Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) used an Aug. 13 press call to place attention back on the federal government’s mishandling of COVID-19 and the destruction to the economy that has followed.
“The economy isn’t great that and that’s what I want to talk about today,” stated Dingell, who refuted the Trump administration’s contrary claim by pointing to the 32.9 percent real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) drop during the second quarter—the worst quarter in recorded history. “We’ve lost nearly 13 million jobs since the pandemic. The economic pain we are feeling is because the President of the United States has not taken charge of this pandemic.”
To demonstrate the lack of support that has been given to local small businesses during the pandemic, the Biden for President campaign invited Detroit business owner Stephanie Byrd to participate in the call. Byrd, whose family owns and operates Flood’s Bar & Grille—one of Detroit’s oldest Black-owned bars—along with The Block and the Garden Theater, described the empathy she has for her staff during these challenging times as the two restaurants have “continued to limp along,” while operating at a limited capacity.
The Byrd’s Garden Theater has been unable to reopen, but given the state of the economy, it is uncertain if the outlook for the three businesses would improve even if all three were allowed to operate at full capacity due to how their normal clientele has been impacted.
“We have 14.8 percent unemployment in Michigan and it’s higher in Detroit,” said Dingell, who described the numbers as being conservative estimates.
Throughout the press call Dingell stressed that the road to economic recovery in Michigan begins with properly addressing the pandemic and she said Joe Biden is equipped to do so. In plans laid out by Biden during the past four months to address the pandemic, five basic elements have been identified: test and trace; sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for all; science-based treatments and vaccines; steps to reopen safely and effectively; and, protecting those at high-risk, including older Americans.
Dingell said a Biden Administration would combine the plan with an intimate understanding of Michigan’s vital industries and infrastructure.
“Biden has a plan to address the pandemic in Michigan,” said Dingell, who pointed to the role Biden played in the automotive industry recovery during the Obama Administration. “He has always been someone who has cared about workers and working families.”
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