Clinton visits GM hybrid plant, promises help for automakers

Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau

WHITE MARSH, Md. — After sitting behind the wheel of a black Tahoe Hybrid SUV, Democrat Hillary Clinton told General Motors workers at a plant here today that she, as president, would help the auto industry through research and development funding, fairer trade deals and lower health care costs.

"One of my big goals is we are going to have a strong and vibrant manufacturing sector in America," Clinton told several dozen workers after she toured the plant that produces two-mode hybrid transmissions for GM’s Tahoe and Yukon full-size SUVs.

"And it’s going to have the strongest and best auto manufacturing sector in the world," Clinton said to applause.

Clinton visited the GM plant outside of Baltimore. Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia vote Tuesday, and Mason-Dixon polls released Sunday showed her trailing considerably behind her rival, Barack Obama.

Clinton noted that she represents New York, home to much of GM’s research and development on its new hydrogen fuel cell car.

GM already has made 100 test hydrogen cars, which it hopes to market in 2012. One of the test cars, which are hand-built in Michigan, was on display at the Allison GM plant.

Debbie Dingell — a senior GM official, Democratic Party leader and wife of Michigan Congressman John Dingell, D-Dearborn, chatted with Clinton as she greeted workers.

Clinton told workers she opposes the Korean free trade deal worked out by the Bush administration and currently before Congress. She said her universal health care plan would help GM and them by reducing overall health care costs.

Clinton spoke optimistically about creating a partnership between herself in the White House and the auto industry in the transition from the internal combustion engine to green-powered vehicles.

"These challenges we are facing (are) going to advantage us," she said. "But it is going to take a president who really gets it, and cares about it and works every day with business and labor to make it happen," she said.

Clinton said that because the Japanese government subsidized its car companies’ development of battery technology, "we gotta help" the U.S. automakers.

She touched on her plan to create 5 million "green-collar" jobs, which includes $2 billion in battery research money for automakers, $10,000 tax credits for purchasers of plug-in hybrids, and $20 billion in low-interest "Green Vehicle Bonds" to help retool old auto plants.

She also wants to raise fuel economy standards to 40 mpg by 2020 and 55 mpg by 2030.

After listening to workers, Clinton took questions from reporters.

She discounted Obama’s momentum and huge fund-raising ability, saying she’s winning states like Michigan, which Democrats must carry in November to win the White House. She also argued she is the strongest Democrat to go up against presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

The GM facility Clinton visited started building two-mode hybrid transmissions last fall for the 2008 Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids. It also builds transmission for GM’s heavy-duty trucks. Opened in 1999, the plant employs 400 workers. The plant has 18 workers solely building 90 hybrid transmissions a day. It is looking at adding a second shift of workers dedicated to producing the hybrid transmissions in coming weeks.

The two-mode hybrid system, developed in a partnership among GM, BMW, and Chrysler, uses less gasoline by relying on batteries. This is the first hybrid in full-size SUVs and to be able to regenerate battery power on the highway, not just through braking in cities like earlier hybrid technology.

The fuel economy for two-mode hybrids is 21 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, a 50 percent over standard model’s fuel economy.