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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2008 > July > 29 > Entry
McCain, Obama send out dueling statements on DHL
If the proposed deal permitting DHL to hire UPS to handle its U.S. air cargo lift - a decision that could cost the Wilmington region some 8,000 jobs - weren’t yet a campaign issue, it officially became one Tuesday, July 29.
That’s when Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, sent out dueling press releases on the proposal within hours.
McCain will go to Wilmington in early August for a campaign trip to DHL. As for Obama, he recently met with the mayor of Wilmington and DHL employees to discuss the issue.
Tuesday, McCain’s camp sent out a statement backing the congressional delegation’s efforts to save the jobs in Wilmington. He also said he supports their efforts to have the transaction reviewed “by several federal and state agencies” for any violations of law.
Obama, meanwhile, sent out a letter to the Director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council asking for a careful examination of the proposal.
Both the statement and the letter are after the jump….
First, this from McCain 2008 Senior Policy Adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin issued the following statement:
“John McCain supports the efforts of the Ohio congressional delegation to resolve and render assistance to the workers and families affected by the potential cessation of operation at the Wilmington Air Park. For years, the workers and families of Wilmington have relied upon the jobs and services at the Park, and its prospective closure could pose a devastating blow to lives of thousands of hard-working Americans, and to the economy of Ohio.
“John McCain recognizes that this challenge must have a dual-track approach. First, the Ohio delegation has requested this transaction be reviewed by several federal and state agencies for any potential violations of applicable law. John McCain supports this request and believes these inquiries should proceed with the highest appropriate standards of review.
“Second, as the transaction is reviewed, John McCain believes that state and federal worker and community assistance efforts should be mustered in preparation for the potential job loss of thousands of working Americans. As the state prepares its request for national emergency grant funding for immediate assistance, he also believes that planning must proceed to ensure effective coordination so that all state and federal worker assistance — including income, health, child care, food, housing, transportation, and training assistance — is easily accessible for all affected workers.”
Here’s Obama’s letter, in full:
Dear Mr. Zinsmeister:
During my recent travels, I visited with the mayor of Wilmington, Ohio and workers who would be affected by a proposed DHL-UPS agreement for services that would lead to the closing of the DHL facility in Wilmington.
I write to you in my capacity as a U.S. Senator because I believe that the Administration must act now on two fronts: first, the Department of Justice should examine the transaction to ensure that it is not in violation of antitrust laws and second, if it is not, then the government must work to ensure that these workers and this community are not left without assistance in finding new work for its people and new use for the existing infrastructure.? I am pleased that you and Assistant Secretary of Commerce Sandy Baruah have been tasked with coordinating the government response to the situation and wish to offer any assistance I or my staff can provide.
As a matter of antitrust law, the proposed consolidation of DHL’s domestic airlift operations under a competitor, UPS, raises concern.? At the very least, the DOJ should examine whether having two competitors in a fairly concentrated market act as partners would have anti-competitive effects.
If the deal proceeds, Governor Strickland and Senator Brown have both told me that the DHL facility in Wilmington would likely cease operating.? That would eliminate at least 8,000 jobs in Ohio and impact an estimated 41 counties.? That level of concentrated job loss strongly weighs in favor of the government assisting them through the difficult time that will follow.
I understand that you are working with the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce to coordinate a rapid response to what could be a crisis for the communities involved. As a Senator on the committee of jurisdiction over the Department of Labor, I would appreciate additional detail on your efforts and how responding to this situation could serve as a model for other communities where concentrated job loss is occurring due to plants moving overseas or increasingly consolidating markets.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
Cc: Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
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