Thanedar Demands Trump Open Bridge And Stop Hurting Economy

India-West News Desk

DETROIT, MI – The Gordie Howe International Bridge is built and ready for traffic, but it remains closed for business. Designed to link Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, the crossing was slated to open in June, only to be held up by the Trump administration as the President pushes for a “better deal.”

Critics of the delay have pointed to the Moroun family, who own the Ambassador Bridge, the only other major crossing into Canada from Detroit. Observers have long noted the family’s political ties to the Trump administration, fueling talk that the President is holding up the new, public-funded bridge to protect his allies from competition.

Now, Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) is leading a fight to end the delay. On July 7, he was joined by two senior Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee at Riverside Park to demand that the administration stop blocking the vital border crossing.

Thanedar, who represents the district where the bridge sits, teamed up with Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Lou Correa (D-CA) to ramp up pressure on the White House. He argued that the delay is a direct hit to Michigan’s economy, noting that the bridge is essential for the automotive supply chain and the thousands of jobs that rely on moving parts and goods across the border.

“The bridge is essential for commerce between the United States and Canada,” Thanedar said. “It would be instrumental for our auto industry. The bridge would be instrumental to retain and increase our auto jobs, and the bridge is essential for Michigan’s economy.”

When asked about what happens next, Thanedar dismissed the idea that being in the minority party would stop them. He noted that the bridge is ready to open tomorrow if the President would simply allow it, and warned that they would use every legal and political move they have to force the issue, just as they have against other administration policies.

Rep. Correa offered a simpler way to end the fight, suggesting that the President should just take the credit and move on!

“I would say let President Trump be in the first car that comes across that bridge,” Correa said. “Let him cut the ribbon, let him come across -that’s the deal. All the taxpayers would benefit from that, and he can take credit for that as well as he should.”

Closing out the event, Thanedar issued a blunt appeal to the President, echoing a famous line from the Cold War: “Mr. Trump, open up the Gordie Howe Bridge. Mr. Trump, open up the bridge, because Michigan needs it, the people of the United States need it.”