Michigan members of Congress tout ability to work across aisle
U.S. Reps. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, Bill Huizenga, R-Walker, and Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, discuss bipartisanship during the third day of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich., on May 29, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)
MACKINAC ISLAND – Republican and Democratic members of Michigan's congressional delegation alike, speaking last week at the Mackinac Policy Conference, said they are willing to work across the aisle to get things done for Michigan.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) thanked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for being willing to meet and negotiate with President Donald Trump.
'The governor is trying to do what's right for Michigan,' Dingell said. 'She went in there and got a mission for Selfridge Air Force Base, which we, quite frankly, fought for for four years.'
'And thank you, Donald Trump, for delivering a mission to Macomb County, we need that,' Dingell added.
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) joked that 'we're going to cut and snip that one.'
Huizenga similarly praised Whitmer as leading the fight for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species.
He said the Great Lakes are an example of an issue where almost everyone in the Midwest can agree and work together, noting that Dingell is a Democratic co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, along with Ohio U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, also a Democrat.
'My joke is with Marcy Kaptur, she and I would struggle to agree that today is Thursday in most instances, but we are lockstep when it comes to Great Lakes funding,' Huizenga said.
Huizenga said he and Dingell have co-signed several letters related to the Great Lakes, including one to the Office of Management and Budget requesting full funding for related projects.
U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) disagreed with an assertion that the Democratic base is frustrated with elected Democrats working with Republicans.
'Even in this climate, in Congress, there are many bills that we see Democratic and Republican votes on, and I don't feel ostracized by my party in doing that,' McDonald Rivet said. 'I work for the people of the Eighth District, and I actually think working in a bipartisan way is what helped me overperform in almost every single precinct of the district.'
But Huizenga said he does get criticized by other Republicans for working with Democrats.
'I've had people say, 'Hey, you shouldn't even be talking to those people,'' Huizenga said. 'And my reply to them is, well, if we're not talking, how are we supposed to figure out whether we agree on 5%, 15% or 50%?'
'You might not be able to picture yourself interfacing with these folks, but guess what? That's my job. I have to,' Huizenga added.
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