“No state has lived through the consequences of offshoring and outsourcing more than Michigan. We know losing a factory doesn’t just mean losing jobs. Losing people means losing resources. It means fewer police officers and underfunded schools. It means less housing built and fewer roads fixed. It’s a loss of purpose and identity.

So, while I share the President’s goal of bringing good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back home, it’s got to be done right. Reindustrialization could have huge ripple effects, since manufacturing has the highest economic multiplier effect of any sector. Every dollar spent to make something triggers a chain reaction of material purchases, jobs in the supply chain, and more local economic growth.

“As I’ve said before, I’m not against tariffs outright, but they are a blunt tool. You can’t just bust out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clearly defined end-goal. We also cannot underestimate or underappreciate the time and capital it will take to actually bring jobs and supply chains back home. There’s no shortcut here. Strategic reindustrialization must be a bipartisan project that spans multiple presidential administrations.

“Let’s be strategic and put tariffs on the technology we actually want to make in America or in industries where we already have a sizeable competitive advantage. Let’s carve out autos and energy, both of which are critical to manufacturers and directly impact people’s wallets. Finally, to the extent that tariffs are a strategic tool in our economic toolbox, let’s use all our new revenue to reinvest in American businesses and workers.

Our history has proven that when we build, we succeed. And the opposite is true, too. When we don’t build, we fall behind. When we don’t build enough housing, we put the American Dream out of reach. When we don’t build enough schools, we lose our pipeline of talent. When we don’t build enough roads or transit, we make it harder for people to get around and for businesses to move their goods. When we don’t build enough factories, the engines that power our industrial economy sputter.