Debbie Dingell on Roads, Land Conservation, and the Presidential Election

Stephen Henderson meets with Debbie Dingell, the Representative for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, to discuss her goals for the remainder of the year and the 2016 Presidential Election. They key points:

• National Highway Trust Fund: Dingell says that regarding infrastructure, the U.S. is falling behind and is quickly becoming the equivalent of a third world country. She says the fault for this lies not just at the state and local level, but at that of the federal level as well. She says the American people are frustrated at Congress’ inability to pass a long-term bill to fix the nation’s road problems.
• Being blunt: Dingell says people want to see Democrats and Republicans come together to solve our country’s issues, including roads. She says that “people are tired of politicians who talk gobbledygook” and stresses the importance of using blunt, straightforward language. She praises Donald Trump for his ability to do this and says that although she doesn’t agree with Trump on many issues, he is getting people interested in the election process. She and Stephen discuss the recent Republican Debate and Dingell says that “whenever you get 24 million people tuned into a political debate, it’s good for Democracy.”
• Decision 2016:  Dingell says that although November 2016 is “a lifetime away,” this presidential election is an exciting time because more people are interested in politics than she says she has seen in a long time. She also talks about Hillary Clinton and the possibility of Vice President Joe Biden joining the race.
• Land and Water Conservation Fund: Dingell says that this bill was first passed 50 years ago and has “touched every county in the country.” She argues for the renewal of this bill, which she says had strong bipartisan support and doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime. 

Click the audio link above to listen to the full conversation.