Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said Chuck Schumer’s pledge to reverse DOGE cuts if Democrats win in 2026 would restore excessive Washington spending harming Ohio’s manufacturing communities hit by factory closures and job losses.
“Ohio has paid the price for decades of elite neglect factories shuttered communities hollowed out and jobs shipped overseas,” said Cortes. “Now Washington wants the 2026 election to reopen the bloated spending spigot and pretend the scam works. Ohio must choose protect work rebuild industry and defend the foundational promise. or let the same failures rule again.”
According to a DC Newsline article, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged that Democrats would reverse DOGE cuts and increase funding beyond prior levels for programs in transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) if they gain control in the 2026 midterms. Cortes linked this to Ohio’s history of economic challenges from deindustrialization and framed the election as essential to maintaining DOGE’s fiscal discipline against renewed expansive government spending.
Ohio has lost approximately 359,000 manufacturing jobs from 1990 to 2019, reducing the sector’s share of state employment from 21.7 percent to 12.5 percent. Counties across the state, particularly in industrial areas, have experienced significant factory closures and population declines tied to trade competition, automation, and policy shifts. These losses have contributed to economic hardship in communities reliant on manufacturing for stable, high-wage opportunities.
DOGE implemented the largest peacetime federal workforce reduction on record, cutting employment by nine percent or 271,000 positions in less than ten months through hiring freezes, resignations, and terminations. While overall federal spending increased, these reforms targeted inefficiencies in procurement, regulations, and agency operations to promote long-term savings and reduce wasteful outlays amid rising national debt.
Cortes founded the League of American Workers in 2022 to advocate for policies supporting American workers and the economy. He served on President Trump’s Hispanic Advisory Council during the 2016 campaign and as a senior advisor for communications on the National Economic Council. Cortes has contributed as a commentator on major networks, authored books, and supported Republican priorities on trade, immigration, and economic issues.
