Rep. Kaptur speaks out in defense of U.S. made steel and Midwestern steelworkers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2016
Contact: Nicole Dailey Jones, (800) 964-4699 & (202) 225-5411 or Marcy.KapturPress@mail.house.gov
Rep. Kaptur speaks out in defense of U.S. made steel and Midwestern steelworkers
Washington, DC-Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) today decried a Republican attempt to kill support for using American-made steel in federal infrastructure projects. The following statement came during debate on the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act (WIIN Act), a bill which authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers’ work to build and maintain the water infrastructure in America, such as maintaining and building damns, locks, levees, and dredging activity in the nation’s navigable waterways. The “Buy America” clause which gives preference to American-made steel for supplying steel for use in Corps' construction projects has historically been a part of these bills (usually named the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA) but the new legislation would end that provision at the end of the current fiscal year. Republicans in Congress have continued to attack American industry in spite of President-elect Trump’s promises to support American products and the industrial base:
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity, in championing the cause of the steelworkers of our nation, in the industrial heartland, of Lorain, Ohio and Gary, Indiana and Youngstown.
Apparently, the Republican Majority was not been paying attention to the recent election because, in fact, Mr. Trump promised that the Buy America Provisions and American steel production would be supportive and primary. And yet, they are proposing to kill the Buy America Provision in this Bill.
I urge the majority not to forget the promises your Party made to these proud and strong American workers. I can assure you, they won’t forget and we have to stand up to Chinese dumping that has put out of work thousands and thousands and thousands of workers across this country. Given the woes of the American Steel industry, encouraging more offshoring is unconscionable.
Thank you and I yield back – thank you Mr. DeFazio.
Rep. Kaptur’s full floor statement during today’s debate on the House floor can be found here.
###