Senate candidates call each other out for outsourcing labor

SOUTH BEND, Ind.— while the candidates in Indiana’s U.S. Senate race say they’re fighting to keep jobs in America, they’re both under fire for their past business practices that did the opposite.

“We need to change our federal policies to stop the outsourcing of Hoosier and American jobs,” said Senator Joe Donnelly.

Sen. Donnelly followed his call to action last year with the End Outsourcing Act.

It’s a bill that would provide incentives for businesses to keep jobs in America.

However, Republicans are going after the senator for seemingly not practicing what he preaches.

They’re continuing to call him out because his family’s La Porte-based arts and crafts business Stewart Superior Corp. has produced goods in Mexico.

But Donnelly’s camp is calling this attack a distraction.

“The fact is that joe hasn’t had an active role in the company for 20 years,” said Peter Hanscom, campaign manager for Donnelly in a statement to ABC 57 News. “Last year, joe sold his stock in the company and donated the proceeds to charity.”

 Indiana Democrats say Braun’s camp is distracting voters from his own record.

According to an AP report, one of his company’s suppliers, Westin Automotive, started shifting production to factories in Asia in 2008.

Braun's auto parts brand, Promaxx Automotive, also relied on overseas labor.

“If he really wanted to be ‘made in America,’ Rep. Braun could have relied on the many Hoosier manufacturers who were already making the exact auto parts he needed,” said Michael Feldman, a spokesman for Indiana Democratic Party in a statement to ABC 57 News.

Josh Kelley, a spokesman for Braun’s camp called out years of inaction in Washington, D.C. that allowed this to happen.

“Over his four decades of creating good-paying American jobs, Mike Braun has seen suppliers that used to make 100% of their products here in the U.S. sending jobs and production overseas thanks to bad trade deals from career politicians like Senator Donnelly,” said Kelley. “The fact is career politicians talk, and outsiders take action”