SHELBYVILLE, Ind. – Concerned Hoosiers and union workers gathered outside Congressman Messer’s Shelbyville office this morning to protest his record of supporting trade policies that rig the playing field against Hoosier workers and make it easier for corporations to ship jobs to other countries.
Congressman Messer has a history of supporting unfair trade policies and outsourcing corporations over Hoosier workers. He accepted donations from United Technologies after Carrier announced plans to outsource the jobs of thousands of Hoosiers, and he’s supported expanding trade agreements with known bad actors like China.
During the last debate, Congressman Messer tried to claim he’s aligned with President Trump’s stance in support of “smart trade” deals, but his record says otherwise. In Congress, he also repeatedly supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the massive, pan-Asian trade deal that would have allowed currency manipulators greater access to the American markets, flooded the U.S. with cheap goods and led to thousands of more American jobs shipped overseas.
“Congressman Messer is no friend to Hoosier workers. He hasn’t just stood idly by while corporations have outsourced good-paying jobs for cheap foreign labor, he’s actively pushed for more bad trade deals that would make this easier for other companies,” said Ron Long, a retired member of UAW Local 933. “Instead of Congressman Messer, we need champions for Hoosier workers in the Senate who fight hard for good-paying jobs and support trade deals that promote a level playing field.”
“Congressman Messer’s attempt to flip the script on his record of supporting disastrous trade deals is blatant hypocrisy, but so are his claims to support Hoosier workers while taking money from companies like United Technologies when the spotlight was on them for outsourcing Hoosier jobs,” said Michael Feldman, spokesman for the Indiana Democratic Party. “While Hoosiers saw their jobs shipped to foreign countries, Congressman Messer lined his pockets and then went back to work to support more bad trade deals that rig the playing field against Hoosier workers.”
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