(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/08/2024) Members on both sides of the aisle agreed today on an amendment funding the state’s Selfridge Air National Guard Base at $10 million, but when the Democrat-proposed amendment prevailed over the Republican-led one, Rep. Tom Kuhn (R-Troy) called out Dems for “political theater.”
In a floor speech on Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mount Clemens)’s amendment, which builds upon the House’s $7.5 million initial recommendation with $2.5 million in additional funding, Kuhn said he’s “voting for this amendment, but let’s just fund Selfridge without all the unnecessary drama.”
Rep. Alicia St. Germaine (R-Harrison Township) proposed a nearly identical amendment earlier in the day, which was voted down in favor of Mentzer’s language, allocating $2.5 million plus $100. Mentzer is running for re-election in a politically competitive Macomb County seat.
Mentzer said getting funding for Selfridge up to $10 million, the funding level achieved in Fiscal Year (FY) ‘23-24 budget, is necessary to continue the base’s contribution of more than $700 million into Macomb County’s economy and keeping nearly 5,000 jobs.
“These funds are crucial to improving base infrastructure and securing the optimization for your next generation fighter squadron,” Mentzer said.
“We cannot miss the opportunity to continue supporting this base that is critical to Macomb County, the state of Michigan and to our national security,” she said. “We are proud of Selfridge Air Force National Guard base, and we are proud of the men and women who are deployed there.”
But Kuhn, who said something similar happened during last year's budget season with his own proposed amendment for more Selfridge funding, said he felt like the decision to remove and then replace the $2.5 million was motivated less by true debate and discussion and more by political gamesmanship.
“Everyone supports the 10 million,” he said. “Why do you take it out . . . and then vote to put it back in? It doesn't make any sense, other than just gamesmanship.”
St. Germaine likened the situation to the Will Smith movie “Hitch,” where Smith’s character lures a dog away from its owner so that a potential suitor can then impress the woman by returning the dog to her.
“It looks a lot like Democrats are trying to play the part of hero by reinstating funding on the floor, even though it was the Democrats who took it out in the first place. The funding was never in danger,” she said. “It’s manipulative.”
