[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 144 (Monday, October 12, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10632-H10638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO RESPOND TO INCREASE OF STEEL IMPORTS AS A
RESULT OF FINANCIAL CRISES IN ASIA AND RUSSIA
Mr. ARCHER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 350) calling on the President
to take all necessary measures under existing law to respond to the
significant increase of steel imports resulting from the financial
crises in Asia, Russia, and other regions, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 350
Whereas the current financial crises in Asia, Russia, and
other regions have involved massive depreciation in the
currencies of several key steel-producing and steel consuming
countries, along with a collapse in the domestic demand for
steel in these countries;
Whereas the crises have generated and will continue to
generate significant increases in United States imports of
steel, both from the countries whose currencies have
depreciated in the crisis and from steel producing countries
that are no longer able to export steel to the countries in
economic crisis;
Whereas United States imports of finished steel mill
products from Asian steel producing countries--the People's
Republic of China, Japan, Korea, India, Taiwan, Indonesia,
Thailand, and Malaysia--have increased by over 70 percent in
the first 5 months of 1998 compared to the same period in
1997;
Whereas year-to-date imports of steel from Russia now
exceed the record import levels of 1997, and steel imports
from Russia and Ukraine now approach 2,500,000 metric tons;
Whereas foreign government trade restrictions and private
restraints of trade distort international trade and
investment patterns and result in burdens on United States
commerce, including absorption of a disproportionate share of
diverted steel trade;
Whereas the European Union, for example, despite also being
a major economy, in 1997 imported only one-tenth as much
finished steel products from Asian steel producing countries
as the United States did and has restricted imports of steel
from the Commonwealth of Independent States, including
Russia;
Whereas the United States is simultaneously facing a
substantial increase in steel imports from countries within
the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Russia,
caused in part by the closure of Asian markets; and
Whereas many would recognize that there may be a need to
determine if there should be improvements in the enforcement
of United States trade laws to provide an effective response
to such situations: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress calls upon the President to--
(1) pursue vigorous enforcement of United States trade laws
relating to unfair trade practices with respect to the
significant increase of steel imports into the United States,
using all remedies available under all those laws;
(2) pursue consultations with officials of Japan, Korea,
the European Union, and other nations to eliminate import
barriers that affect steel mill products and to increase
access to their markets;
(3) closely monitor United States imports of steel and make
the data gathered from such monitoring available to the
public as soon as possible; and
(4) report to the Congress by no later than January 5,
1999, on the impact that the significant increase in steel
imports is having on employment, prices, and investment in
the United States steel industry.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Archer) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer).
General Leave
Mr. ARCHER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and that I may include extraneous material on the resolution,
H. Con. Res. 350, now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, I wish to be recognized in opposition
to the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman from New York opposed to
the resolution?
Mr. RANGEL. No, Madam Speaker.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, the gentleman from Indiana is opposed
to the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky)
will control 20 minutes.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, I also ask unanimous consent that we
extend debate on this resolution for 1 additional hour, given the
important nature of the resolution before the House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer)
yield for the purpose of extending the debate for 1 additional hour?
Mr. ARCHER. No, Madam Speaker. I cannot accept, Madam Speaker. This
bill is under suspension and should be covered by the normal rules for
suspension.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) will
be recognized for 20 minutes; the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel)
will be recognized for 20 minutes; and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Visclosky) will be recognized for 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer).
Mr. ARCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.Con.Res. 350. I worked
with my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Regula) to develop this resolution
which expresses the strong will of Congress that the President must
respond to the significant increase in steel imports. This resolution
expresses the clear signal that we must take action under our existing
laws to preserve U.S. jobs in this vital sector.
Some are seeking to politicize this issue, asserting that this
resolution is not strong enough. Frankly, I do not understand that
strategy. We must be united in our call to the administration to take
action. The resolution makes perfectly clear that Congress is gravely
concerned that the financial crises in Asia and Russia have led to a
collapse in demand for domestic steel and that a number of our trading
partners are closing in their markets to foreign steel, leaving the
U.S. vulnerable to sky-rocketing levels of imports.
In fact, this language in the resolution is virtually identical to
the so-called bipartisan resolution, H.Con.Res. 328, introduced last
month.
Furthermore, the resolution calls upon the President to pursue
vigorous enforcement of U.S. trade laws with respect to steel; to
negotiate with Japan and Korea and the EU to eliminate barriers and
open their markets to the glut to the steel on the market; to closely
monitor import levels; and to report to Congress by January 5 on the
impact that the significant increase in steel imports is having on
employment, prices, and investment here.
Madam Speaker, I hope we will not play politics today. We have no
disagreement about the impact that the significant increase in steel
imports is having on the U.S. industry and on its workers. I do not
understand why this resolution should pass by anything other than a
unanimous vote so that we can send a clear, united message to the
President that the Congress is deeply concerned.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I have no speakers, so I reserve my time
at this time.
[[Page H10633]]
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) stated correctly
that there is a significant problem with a surge in steel imports into
the United States of America. In the first 6 months of this year
compared to the first 6 months of last year, imports have surged from
South Korea by 89 percent.
{time} 1800
Imports from Japan have surged 113 percent. Imports from Indonesia
have surged over 300 percent. People have lost their jobs. They are not
going to get laid off, they are not going to lose their jobs, they have
lost their jobs.
The gentleman from Texas was also correct, that in a bipartisan
fashion a period of time ago, a significant number of Members in the
House of Representatives introduced a resolution to call upon the
administration, that has not acted on this matter, to take action. The
administration has not acted, and people have lost their jobs because
of that. That is why we are here tonight, because if the President of
the United States is not going to enforce the trade statutes of the
United States of America, we have a constitutional responsibility to do
it in this House.
I have the utmost respect for the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula),
the chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, as well as the Vice-
Chair, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), and the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Quinn), who chairs the executive committee.
We were all on that original resolution, and we called for the
enhanced enforcement of the United States trade laws with respect to
the surge in steel imports. We asked that the United States government
use all remedies available under those laws, including offsetting
duties, I stand to be corrected if that is not the law of the land
today, and the instrument of the law under the Constitution that the
President can use today.
We said in that resolution, that bipartisan resolution, calling upon
our president, who has not acted, that he should use quantitative
restraints if necessary. That is exactly what the European community
has done. They have put up a wall. People are so cavalier when they
come in. They say yes, the Europeans did it, but we are going to cause
a crisis internationally if we simply protect ourselves from an illegal
international action.
If I am wrong that quantitative restraints are not allowable under
the law of the land today, I stand to be corrected right now, and other
authorized remedial measures as appropriate that are available to the
President of the United States.
The second paragraph of that resolution that was introduced in a
bipartisan fashion to call upon the President, who has not acted, said
that the President should pursue with all tools at his disposal a more
equitable sharing of the burden of accepting imports of finished steel
products from Asia and the countries within the Commonwealth.
The language we have before us today says that we should consult with
the officials of Japan, we should consult with the officials of Korea,
we should consult with the European Union. I bet Mr. Kim at Pohang
Steel is going to lay awake tonight worrying about our consultation. We
are going to consult him to death between now and January 3. Mr.
Yakamura of Nippon Steel in Japan, the guy is probably going to have a
heart attack because we are going to consult with the Japanese. We have
been consulting for 6 months, and nobody has taken any action.
I bet the foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, I bet they are going to be
apoplectic because we are going to consult with them.
Do Members know what, they have a job. They have a job. But 450
white-collar workers at Inland Steel in Chicago, Indiana, they do not
have a job today. They do not have a job today. On October 7, 2 days
ago, or 5 days ago, I stand corrected, Timken Steel in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, laid off 160 workers. They do not have a job today. That
foreign minister in France got his job.
Forty-seven steelworkers who were laid off at three Ohio steel-
producing facilities last month, those 47 workers, I will bet most of
them are married, I will bet most have kids, most have a mortgage, and
they cannot wait until January 5, with Christmas and Thanksgiving, and
three months of feeding their kids and sending them to school.
We have 40 union workers laid off at Timken Steel in Latrobe,
Pennsylvania. We had, on September 2nd, 400 people laid off at Inland
Steel, in addition to the 450. Geneva Steel in Utah, an 18 percent
cutback, 355 people as of September 29. As of 1\1/2\ weeks ago, those
350, they are not working, but the guy in Luxembourg, the guy in Japan,
the guy in Korea, he is working. He is working.
The President has done nothing. We have an obligation to do
something. The third portion of our resolution, bipartisanly
introduced, said that the administration ought to establish a task
force within the branch with the responsibility for closely monitoring
imports. No great quibble here.
The resolution before us today says we will continue to closely
monitor. A lot of good that has done for all of these other people that
have continued to lose their jobs, the 200 people in Fairfield,
Alabama, who on September 1 were laid off by U.S. Steel, the 100 people
in Mon Valley, Pittsburgh, who were laid off on September 1.
That monitoring so far to date, the last 6 months, has not helped the
people at Slater Steel, where 51 positions were eliminated last week.
Last Thursday, 51 people lost their jobs. It did not help them that we
have been monitoring since last summer.
The last part of our resolution said that there should be a report to
us, to the Republicans, to the Democrats, a report to us by the
President, who has not acted, on the comprehensive plan we want him to
develop to deal with this surge. We want a plan in place. We want
action taken no later than that. The resolution before us today said
that the President ought to report back and say he should tell us what
the impact is by January 5.
I have a couple more. Acme Steel in Riverdale, Illinois. They just
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A good thing we had a bankruptcy bill
on the House floor last week. We anticipated that event.
We have lost jobs. We are losing jobs as the weeks go by. We are
asking for the President to come back in 3 months with this resolution
and say, tell us what the impact is, Mr. President. We would really
like to know.
Everybody in this Chamber is smart enough to know what the problem
is. I respect all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, because
we all want the same thing to happen. We want the President of the
United States to act. We want this institution to act.
But in the last day or two of this Congress, to stand before the
American people with a resolution that says, report back to us on the
impact, let us monitor this, let us consult people to death, is a sham,
and I am not going to lie to the workers who are losing their jobs
every day.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CRANE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 350 recognizes that the
U.S. steel industry is experiencing difficulties as a result of a
significant increase in imports of steel into the United States, and
calls on the President to take all measures under existing law to
respond to this increase.
The financial crisis or crises in Asia and Russia have made a number
of industries, including steel, vulnerable to increased imports from
countries seeking to bolster their currencies and improve the current
account balances.
This resolution is tough but fair, and I urge my colleagues to
support it. I support using our existing trade laws to address the
question of whether steel is being traded unfairly and injuring our
industry and workers. In fact, I understand that the steel industry has
brought a number of antidumping petitions within the last 2 weeks. I
urge the industry to continue to pursue this track, and the Commerce
Department and the International Trade Commission to consider these
petitions promptly.
Some say that we should change our trade laws in advance to
accommodate
[[Page H10634]]
these cases before they have been decided. Much as I sympathize with
the plight of the U.S. steel industry and its workers, I believe it
would be premature to make such changes.
First, we must not prejudge or interfere with the outcome of pending
litigation. Second, we must resist the urge to unilaterally close our
markets at this delicate time. Shutting our doors through protection
would set a bad example for Asia and Russia, and for the rest of the
world, that closed trade is an acceptable policy in difficult economic
times. History shows us that it clearly is not. We should not tolerate
policies that limit imports of our goods and services, and we should
not permit Asia and Russia to increase U.S.-bound exports excessively,
to the detriment of our companies and workers.
Instead, we must pursue trade liberalization abroad by action to
increase our access to other markets. We should be on the lookout for
increased Asian and Russian trade barriers. We must also encourage
Japan to open its markets to absorb excess capacity from its neighbors.
In short, we have to do everything we can to get the Asian region and
Russia back to health so their consumers may continue to purchase our
goods and services and create opportunities for our companies and
workers. The financial crisis is an opportunity to foster trade
liberalization in these markets, make systematic changes that will open
markets, increase transparency, and bolster confidence.
Accordingly, the resolution calls upon the President to pursue
vigorous enforcement of U.S. trade laws relating to unfair trade
practices using all remedies available under all those laws, pursue
consultations with our trading partners to eliminate barriers and
increase access to those markets, closely monitor U.S. imports of
steel, make that data available to the public, and report to Congress
by January 5 on the impact the significant increase in steel imports is
having on employment, prices, and investment in the industry.
I would like to congratulate several of my colleagues for their role
in bringing this resolution to the floor today, including the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. English), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula),
and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller).
I would particularly like to thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Aderholt), who, while not a member of the Committee on Ways and Means,
has worked hard on this issue.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution,
which sends a strong warning to our trading partners that we are on the
lookout for our steel industry and its workers.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Klink).
Mr. KLINK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to
me.
Madam Speaker, I decided to run for Congress after I covered in the
news business the decline of the American steel industry while working
for a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 155,000
industrial jobs were lost while this country and this Congress and
various presidents sat here and fiddled and carried on, and did not
care about what was happening in what has become known as the rust belt
of this Nation.
My dear colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) just
talked a moment ago about the hundreds of our constituents in this
country who are losing their jobs each day, and each one of them is a
tragic story. Each one of them is someone who cannot make a car
payment, cannot make a mortgage payment, does not know how they are
going to pay the bills.
They had a great job in the American steel industry, in a Nation that
has led the production of steel for generations. Now, we are saying to
them, the President will not stand up for you. He will not use the
tools at his disposal, and this Congress can just use a lighter shade
of pale of the resolution that this Congress in a bipartisan manner
suggested that we pass to force this administration to do everything in
their power to stand up for this industry and for those American
workers.
Steel prices in this country have fallen 20 percent over the last 3
months, and workers are being laid off because the Asian countries and
Russia are dumping their steel on this country. Unfair trade practices
are taking place that are having an incredibly bad effect across this
Nation.
What do we do? We want to study the issue. We want to consult about
the issue. We want to formulate a report which will come back after the
first of the year. I will tell Members right now what the report is
going to say. I will save the Members the money, the millions of
dollars it would take to write that report. What is going to happen is
more workers will be laid off, steel plants will close, and our
communities will fall apart.
We have to take action. These trade laws are on the books. Allegheny
Ludlum in Leechburg, which is just outside of my district, they have
already laid off over 100 workers this year because of the cheap
foreign imported steel.
There is not a college, there is not an MBA course, there is not a
university in this Nation that can teach you how to run a steel plant
when you have become as efficient as you can, when you are producing
steel cheaper than you have ever done, you are producing as much as you
can produce, and you are still losing money. Why are we losing money?
Because we are allowing this cheap imported steel to be dumped here
that is being subsidized by other nations.
The truth of the matter is that instead of calling on the President
to pursue enhanced enforcement, we are now saying, just vigorous
enforcement. Instead of calling upon the President to use all the tools
at his disposal to share Asian and Russian imports with Japan and the
European union, this bill suggests we pursue consultations.
We have pursued enough consultations, Madam Speaker. It is time we
take action. This bill is a sham.
Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Madam Speaker, this resolution puts our trading partners on notice
that the U.S. Congress will not tolerate predatory trade practices.
This resolution also pressures the administration to use its legal
authority, including remedies that in my view could include offsetting
duties and quantitative restraints, to the benefit of a strategic
sector of the American economy.
I call on the administration to act expeditiously to eliminate the
damage that is being caused by illegal dumping of foreign steel
products. Russia, Brazil, Korea, China, and Japan should not be allowed
to export their economic mismanagement to the United States.
{time} 1815
Dumping is an unfair, intolerable and illegal trade practice that is
hurting American steel companies and putting American jobs at risk.
Due to their economic crises, foreign steel companies in these
countries and elsewhere cannot sell their products for domestic
consumption. In order to liquidate their inventory, foreign steel
producers are dumping their products in the U.S. by selling at prices
below production costs.
Steel imports through May 1998 increased by a staggering figure, over
70 percent from last year, and now constitute one-third of the domestic
steel market. Over the last decade, Mr. Speaker, the American steel
industry has been revitalized and become one of the most competitive
industries in the world. This substantial accomplishment is now in
jeopardy due to illegally traded steel imports, and the companies
involved support this resolution.
Let us be clear, a vote for this resolution is a vote for a strong
domestic steel industry. A vote against this resolution, contrary to
what we have heard on the other side, is a vote against the vital
interest of every American steelworker whose job is at risk because of
illegal imports.
Mr. Speaker, I challenge every Member of this body who aspires to
represent working families to set aside partisan poses and vote for
fair trade and for this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, if I could ask the Chair what the time
remaining is on each side.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Blunt). The gentleman from Indiana
[[Page H10635]]
(Mr. Visclosky) has 9 minutes remaining, and the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. English) has 11\1/2\ minutes remaining.
MR. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to
the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), chair of the
Congressional Steel Caucus.
(Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, we have heard the slogan, ``Stand up for
steel.'' Today we are standing up for steel. What we are really talking
about are two objectives. One is to save steel jobs in this Nation, the
other is to get the President and the Cabinet members energized to help
us save those steel jobs.
This is the message that we want to send down Pennsylvania Avenue. We
have had discussions. We have had a lot of talk, but now we need
action.
Other speakers have detailed the extent of the problem. Exports are
up from Russia, 45 percent; from Korea, 89 percent; from Japan, 113
percent; Indonesia, 308 percent. And, of course, the European Union put
in quotas, as was mentioned earlier. Even though their population is
the same as ours, roughly, they import one-tenth as does the United
States. I think it tells us very clearly how we are being the target
for all the surplus steel capacity around the world.
What we do in this resolution is say to the administration: Take
action. It is a strong message. We can talk about semantics. We can
split hairs. The real answer is we have got to get the message down
there. And whether it is the resolution offered by the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), whether it is mine, whether it is the
resolution offered by the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer), none
of those will mean anything unless the administration is willing to
take action.
But I would point out to my colleagues that in this resolution before
us today we call for the President of the United States to pursue
vigorous enforcement of our unfair trading laws using all remedies
available under all laws. In other words, use all of the tools
available.
Are there tools? Yes, there are tools. The President can invoke
national security matters and immediately put on quantitative
restraints, if the President were willing to do this.
Mr. Speaker, he can pursue the test of emergency conditions in the
United States, and there is an emergency. Again, the President can act
without any further action.
Thirdly, the President and the Commerce Department can bring 201 and
301 cases. They have not done so.
Fourthly, they can find critical circumstances under dumping,
allowing retroactive imposition of duties. So, there are many tools
available.
Last week I, as chairman of the Steel Caucus, along with the
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) met with Senator Specter,
chairman in the Senate, and Senator Rockefeller, and we met with
Treasury Secretary Rubin, Secretary of Commerce Dailey, with Trade
Ambassador Barshefsky, and with the chairman of the Council of Economic
Advisors, Mr. Gene Sperling. We gave them the outlines of the problem.
And what we had from them is talk. As I said to them, there is a
Chinese proverb that says, ``Talk does not cook rice.''
What we need is for this administration to start dealing with this
problem and not giving us talk. This resolution provides for disclosure
to the public so we know what is going on. And I think that it will
require action by our Committee on Ways and Means.
I would point out of all the resolutions, this is the one coming out
of our Committee on Ways and Means. To really work on this problem, we
need the cooperation and we need the help and we need action by the
Committee on Ways and Means.
But right now, the President of the United States can take action to
save those steel jobs. Mr. Speaker, I say to the President, ``Mr.
President, we want you and your cabinet and your administration to
stand up for steel.''
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Committee on Ways and
Means has acted. I think we all ought to recognize, though, they acted
only because we had such a strong vote last week on this issue that
showed we could have passed the resolution that was originally
introduced.
Now, if my colleagues want to be ``Congressman Feelgood,'' go ahead
and vote for this resolution, this watered-down, tooth-pulled language
that has no strength in it. If they want to be ``Mr. Feelgood,'' then
vote for it.
But if they want to be ``Congressman Do-Good,'' then let us bring
this resolution back to the floor that so many of us cosponsored. What
we need is some real action.
We need action on voluntary restraint agreements, as we had during
the Reagan administration. The gentleman from Ohio will remember that
very well. We need retroactive countervailing duties assured to be
imposed, once the findings are made on the countervailing duty cases
that are pending.
We need to have Japan reduce its exports to the United States. We
need Japan to raise their prices to real market condition prices. We
need tough language, not this watered-down language that we are dealing
with here.
The actions that can be taken with Japan, with Korea to privatize its
steel industry, to bring its exports down to the level prior to this
past May. And for the European Union to end their quotas on Russian
steel that have cut Russian exports to the European Community countries
by 50 percent, so that Russia now leapfrogs Europe and dumps their
steel in the United States.
Mr. Speaker, these are specific, direct actions that can be taken and
we ought to be telling the administration: Do it. Do something good.
Stand up for steel.
Let us stand up for something that means action, not just
``significant increase,'' not just ``under existing laws,'' not
``establish a monitoring program,'' as provided in this resolution.
That means nothing.
As the gentleman from Indiana said, I tell my colleagues, the
leadership in Japan is not quaking in their boots over this language,
and neither should the Members on this floor. We ought to have
something a lot tougher.
Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller), a member of the
Committee on Ways and Means, and a good friend of steel.
(Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
English) for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for action. Frankly, it is time that we give
a wakeup call to the White House. While steelworkers in Illinois and
across this country are losing their jobs, the Clinton administration
does nothing.
Tonight, the President is in New York spending an evening with the
``limousine liberals,'' and nothing is being done about steel jobs in
Illinois. We are losing jobs in Illinois because the Clinton
administration is doing nothing. This Congress needs to speak and call
for action, because Illinois workers are losing their jobs while Bill
Clinton is in New York.
Asian countries, the countries of Asia and Russia are dumping steel
in Illinois and it is costing Illinois workers their jobs. Steel
imports from Japan have doubled, while Bill Clinton sleeps. Steel
imports from Korea have gone up 89 percent, while the Clinton
administration does nothing.
We need action Mr. Speaker. That is why this resolution and that is
why this Congress should speak in a bipartisan, unanimous vote telling
the Clinton administration get off of its duff and do something and go
to work to protect Illinois steel jobs.
There are 20 firms in the south suburbs of the south side of Chicago
that I have the privilege of representing. Every one of them are
hurting. As the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) pointed out,
Acme Steel filed for bankruptcy. Birmingham Steel, which has 400 jobs
in Bourbonnais, has now reduced its hours down to where they are only
working 4 days a week in order to avoid layoffs. In September, they
shut down for a full week, idling 280 workers. Belson Scrap and Steel,
110 employees. They have had to reduce their payroll by 10 percent.
Because the Clinton administration is doing nothing, workers are
hurting. We need action. Let us give a bipartisan vote to this
resolution and demand action out of Clinton administration.
[[Page H10636]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 350 which calls
on the President to enforce existing trade laws to respond to the
overwhelming increase in foreign steel imports resulting from the Asian
financial crisis.
Mr. Speaker passage of H. Con. Res. 350 is of the utmost importance
to the future of the American steel industry and to thousands of
steelworkers around the country, many of which I represent in the 11th
Congressional District in Chicago's south suburbs. The economic
problems in Russia, Asia and Latin America have lead to large scale
dumping of foreign steel on the U.S. market with most of this steel
being sold at below the price of production in their home markets. As
you know Mr. Speaker, this is an unfair and illegal trade practice
under both international and U.S. trade policies, and the dumping of
foreign steel threatens many good paying American jobs.
This past spring, I along with 64 other members of this House signed
a letter to the President asking him to enforce existing U.S. laws
against these unfairly traded steel imports. Unfortunately Mr. Speaker,
the Administration has failed to act on behalf of the steel industry
and American workers. In fact, the problem has only grown worse since
this spring, Steel imports for this past July were up almost 45% over
July 1997. Imports from Japan and South Korea are up over 113% and 89%
respectively.
The impact of this dumped steel has already resulted in layoffs and
reduced orders in factories around the country. U.S. Steel has laid off
over 100 workers in Pittsburgh and is planning to lay off more workers
as orders continue to slow. Geneva Steel has had to let go of over 500
employees, and Northwestern Steel and Wire Company in my state of
Illinois has said that it might have to let go as many as 450 workers
because of these unfair trade practices. Even Acme Steel Company in
Chicago has been forced to file for bankruptcy protection putting even
more jobs in question.
I have over 20 firms in my district that produce steel or steel
products. Some of these firms are large corporations like Birmingham
Steel whose mill in Joliet, Illinois employs almost 400 people, while
others are small family owned businesses like Belson Scrap and Steel in
Bourbonnais, Illinois with 110 employees. Without immediate action to
stem the tide of this unfairly dumped steel, I fear that these steel
producers and their workers will face severe harm.
Mr. Speaker, both the steel industry and the steelworkers union have
filed suit to stop these unfair practices, but, without swift action by
the Administration to stop this unchecked flow of dumped steel, it may
be too late for many of our steel companies and steel workers to wait
for the courts resolution.
The steel industry has rebounded from the financial difficulties of
the 1980's that cost our country over 325,000 jobs. The American steel
industry once in decline, now produces the lowest cost and highest
quality steel on the planet. If we fail to ensure that American steel
plays on a level playing field with the rest of the world, then we
place American steel companies and American workers including the 400
at Birmingham Steel and the 110 at Belson in my district in great harm.
It's time to send a message to the Administration, foreign
governments, and American workers, that this Congress will not stand
idle when American jobs are at stake. I ask for your support for this
industry and this important legislation.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute and 15 seconds.
Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) earlier in his
remarks talked about the ``Visclosky resolution.'' That was not the
Visclosky resolution. That was a bipartisan resolution that the caucus
agreed to. We had cosponsors of that resolution language on both sides.
The gentleman from Ohio has had people losing their jobs as recently
as 5 days ago: September 2, September 29, October 1, October 8.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. VISCLOSKY. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I was referring to the privileged resolution
that the gentleman from Indiana introduced, and he was the sponsor of
that.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Which I sponsored, but which contained the bipartisan
language.
Mr. REGULA. Most of it, yes.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, most of the
bipartisan language. So, this was not a partisan issue.
The administration has not acted and that is why we are here tonight.
The Commerce Department has not initiated its own investigation. The
Trade Rep's office has not initiated its own investigation. Neither has
the Commerce Department or Trade Rep office called for countervailing
duties. No one in the administration has pressured the European Union
to discuss sharing the burden of the financial crisis in Russia or
Asia.
Mr. Speaker, I will close my portion of the remarks by indicating
that this is not the best all of us can do collectively. The best we
can do collectively is to send this back to the committee of
jurisdiction and tell them to do better on Wednesday.
Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the chairman of the
Committee on International Relations.
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
English) for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H. Con. Res. 350
calling on our President to promptly take all necessary measures to
stop the dumping of foreign steel on our markets.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English), sponsors of this measure,
along with the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer),
chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.
U.S. jobs are at stake if we fail to ensure that foreign markets
discontinue the restriction of U.S. steel exports. The administration
has told Congress that it is enforcing our trade laws vigorously. Well,
foreign steel is still surging into our country from Asia and
threatening the jobs of our steelworkers plus the future of our
industry, that by all odds is the lowest cost, most efficient producer
of steel in the entire world.
I also call on the European Union to do its part to meet the ongoing
crisis in Russia by opening its market to the import of Russian steel
products. It should stop cutting back its imports from Russia, if it is
to put in place a long-term solution to the global financial crisis.
Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support this important measure.
{time} 1830
Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), a distinguished member of the
Congressional Steel Caucus and a strong friend of steel.
(Mr. ADERHOLT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Archer) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane) for their work
to bring this resolution to the floor today.
The United States steel industry is the most efficient and
competitive in the world. Currently, however, the industry is in a
crisis due to the dumping onto the U.S. markets of below-cost
production of steel from countries in financial distress. Although I
support this resolution, I strongly believe that we must have an
immediate ban on certain foreign steel imports to give the U.S. steel
industry a level playing field.
My bill, 4762, which has 6 Republicans and 5 Democrats, does that.
The current GATT agreement and the U.S. review process for trade
complaints do nothing to help the families who have already lost their
jobs. It is wrong to let American jobs die as part of a back-door
foreign policy method for keeping foreign governments and economies
afloat. By leaving our ports open to this flood of steel while Europe
maintains trade barriers is exactly what we are doing.
I urge the President to immediately stop this flood of foreign,
unfairly priced steel. If our trade partners do not like it, let them
file a case and go through the same lengthy bureaucratic process that
we have to suffer. Seven steel company presidents, 12 Governors and the
United Steelworkers of America have pleaded with the President to halt
these imports.
This resolution urges the President to engage Europe and Japan to end
their trade barriers. I ask for everyone to support this resolution as
a first step in an effort to give America's steelworkers a fair chance
to compete.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
[[Page H10637]]
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of steelworkers in the
greater Cleveland area who work at LTV Steel and steelworkers
everywhere across this country who realize that this crisis in steel is
real.
Workers are losing their jobs, plants are in danger of being shut
down, but enforcement of our trade laws is not happening. Today we have
the opportunity and the duty to ensure our protections for steel are
enforced. But this concurrent resolution is weak. What are we afraid
of?
If not now, when is it appropriate to impose quantitative
restrictions on steel imports? If not now, when is it appropriate to
raise tariffs? What are we about if we allow our steelworkers to lose
their jobs without taking emergency actions to protect them?
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGLISH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Souder), a strong friend of steel.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania and
the gentleman from Ohio for their leadership, and also my colleague
from Indiana for his leadership, and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Oberstar) for his part in this important issue, because we clearly see
American steel companies being driven out of business with unfair
market practices.
We can talk as Republicans all we want about free trade, but, in
fact, when you have people who cheat, who do not follow the rules, you
cannot have free trade.
I, too, wish this resolution were tougher, but the plain truth of the
matter is we are at the end of the session. The Senate is not in
session. The only thing we can do at this point is a resolution that
puts us on record. This is the best we can do.
If this resolution would go down, it would be a terrible sign because
thus far we have been working in a bipartisan way between the two sides
to try to point out to this administration and this Congress what is
happening in the steel industry.
This book, American Steel, which I would recommend to anyone, tells
the details of the founding of NUCOR as well as what was later
developed as Steel Dynamics in Indiana. Those two companies drove the
price of steel down, yet they cannot compete because of this illegal
dumping. We have put so many restrictions on our steel industry, yet
they have been innovative.
If we at times do not offer protection when other countries will not
play fair, we will not have a steel industry. If we do not have a steel
industry, how can we talk about national defense? How can we talk about
being a strong Nation if we do not have something as fundamental as
steel in this country? We cannot just produce hamburgers and CDs and
the type of soft things, those are important, but steel is a
foundational part of our country. We cannot lose this industry. This
resolution puts us on record as a Congress. If it goes down, it will be
a bad, bad signal.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), my friend and the friend of
everybody in economic risk in this country.
(Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, nearly all of the great economic
improvement in the country has the fingerprints of one of America's
great chairmen, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer). If there is a
better Member than the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), I do not know
him. My friend and neighbor from nearby western Pennsylvania, thank you
for all the good things you have done for workers, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. English). So do not take my comments as an attack on
you. I am fed up the way our Nation has handled trade matters.
Specifically, we are mandated by the Constitution to regulate
commerce with foreign nations. What we have not delegated to the White
House, the White House has usurped.
How, they say, can I oppose this resolution? It is nonbinding. The
Democrats, it is nonbinding.
Here is my position, here is simply why. They are both nonbinding.
Why not make them specific? Why not direct the President to look at
this issue? The issue today is not just trade, it is illegal trade.
The steelworkers of America oppose this resolution because it does
not specifically address dumping.
The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) said there is so much surplus
overseas and that we end up buying it all because no one else overseas
seems to be taking this surplus. Well, that is not the only problem.
This surplus is coming into our country below production cost.
Attractive, is it not?
Where is the specificity? Where is it coming from? Japan, Russia,
Brazil. Let us talk about Japan. Every President since Richard Nixon
threatened Japan with sanctions to open up their market and stop this
illegal trade. Every one right up to William Jefferson Clinton.
Evidently they never complied. I mean, that is a truthful statement.
Workers are fed up.
My community has been decimated, 55,000 steelworkers, Gonesville. And
it is our fault.
Let us look at Russia. We are now giving Russia foreign aid. Russia,
subsidizing their industries, and the Communists are battling with
Yeltsin. Who knows who might win? We are losing.
Let us look at Brazil. We are going to shut the government down over
an $18 billion bailout in the international monetary slush fund for
Brazil. Brazil is taking our money. They are subsidizing their steel
industry, and they are selling steel in the United States of America
below their production cost.
Mr. Speaker, I am not talking today about our resolution. I am
talking about our failure to basically perform our constitutional
mandate. We have allowed White House after White House after White
House to negotiate with Communists, foreign leaders. The Constitution
does not say we consult; the Constitution says we act.
Specifically, I have before and will have before the House, if this
is voted down, a very simple, straightforward resolution that I think
the Committee on Ways and Means should bring out. It says, the
administration should review every bit of steel coming into our
country.
Number two, we review and identify. If there is, in fact, illegal
dumping, document it and impose a 1-year ban on anybody dumping
illegally in our country. That includes Japan, Russia and Brazil.
Number three, same as the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), put that
task force together to closely monitor these imports in the future. And
finally, report back by January 5, 1999, on the actions the executive
branch expects to implement due to the fact that they have uncovered
illegal dumping.
We need some specificity. God Almighty here. Democrats with
nonbinding resolutions; Republicans with nonbinding resolutions,
nonbinding resolutions that are watered down, watered down, watered
down without meaning, without focus, without law.
Hell, if we were to do something, we would have brought out the
Aderholt bill. I do not slam the Republican Party. I am not slamming
the Democrats. It has happened on both sides.
Do you know who I am slamming? All of the Congress. We have allowed
the White House to conduct business, and, by God, they should do what
the Congress of the United States says or veto it.
I would appreciate a no vote on this resolution.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).
(Mr. BACHUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the resolution.
Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance
of my time.
Mr. Speaker, normally I would be happy to associate myself with the
remarks of the gentleman from Youngstown, and, in fact, most of what he
said I agree with. But he put his finger on something that I think was
critical when he said that our so-called watered-down resolution is
watered down only in the sense that the other side's resolution is
watered down. The Regula resolution does not specifically address
dumping, nor does ours.
However, ours does put this body on record focusing on this issue.
This is,
[[Page H10638]]
contrary to what we have heard, the only vote we will get on this issue
this session. So I want to make it clear here, a vote for this
resolution is a vote for a strong domestic steel industry. The American
Iron and Steel Institute supports this resolution. A vote against this
resolution is a vote against the vital interests of every American
steelworker whose job is at risk for illegal imports.
Let us not make a distinction without a difference, as the other side
has. Let us support jobs. Let us vote for this resolution as the one
way of registering our will in favor of domestic steel.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Blunt). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
350.
The question was taken.
Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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