Sen. Lummis and state officials talk about tariffs and federal cuts in Wyoming

Cheyenne, WYO.-- As the country braces for new federal job cuts and tariffs, we sat down with Sen. Cynthia Lummis and the Executive Director of the Wyoming American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations or AFL-CIO to discuss what we can expect from the Trump administration.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis says other countries have been over-taxing the U.S. for decades, which Trump says has been ripping us off.  

According to Trump, these countries' tariffs are being reduced to equal or halved.

"A lot of the countries, including those that we have trade agreements with, have come to the table already. Trying to negotiate individual or individual country good agreements with the United States. I think that's a healthy thing," says Lummis.

After moving our manufacturing global in the 70's, 80s and 90s to boost our corporate bottom line, the U.S. added free trade and product percentages agreement through NAFTA and USMCA, facilitating the flow of goods regionally, saving the cost of shipping across the pond.  

Lummis says Trump's focus is to bring back manufacturers stateside to boost jobs, the economy and national security, as advocates say we saw those ill effects of overseas supply chain breaks when the pandemic hit.  

"Onshoring some manufacturing, especially automobiles, is going to be hugely helpful to the automobile industry employment to high wages, so that's one that we definitely want to pay particular attention to," says Lummis. 

However, critics against bringing back stateside manufacturers say these jobs will drive down job and salary quality.

Marcie Kindred is the Wyoming Executive Director for the AFL-CIO, she says her union represents over 60 unions in Wyoming. 

And believes that the federal cuts we are seeing currently, are hurting the economy and will affect Wyoming grants that help create jobs in the state. 

"There's a bunch that are currently frozen, kind of in limbo, waiting to see whether they will be awarded funds that will end up in bank accounts so projects can move forward," says Kindred.

According to the Executive Director, Wyoming's ideal of a bootstrap mentality needs a tweak.

In 2023 Kindred says the state was the 6th highest in receiving federal funding through grants and projects in the nation. 

This funding goes to projects like renewable energy, tax incentives and subsidies, which help Wyoming develop.

Though many Wyoming workers and AFL-CIO are celebrating Trump's "drill baby drill" sentiment when it comes to his energy policy push meaning more jobs, they are also concerned about cuts to worker safety programs.

"In the state with America's highest workplace fatalities, we need to fully fund OSHA and MSHA protections, especially if we are expecting and celebrating an increase in these dangerous sectors, the traditional energy sources," says Kindred.  

Lummis summarizes that bringing back these manufacturing jobs, and developing energy will boost wage earners, but this will happen once tariff rates and markets calm down through these growing pains. 

Sen. Lummis and a state official talk about tariffs and federal cuts in Wyoming