[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE CONTINUING STEEL IMPORT CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Quinn) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 2 minutes.
  Mr. QUINN. Mr. Speaker, I would like associate myself with the 
remarks of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) and also the gentleman 
from Arkansas (Mr. Berry).
  We rise today to discuss the steel crisis that continues to grip the 
steel industry and its workers.
  On March 17, this past year, 289 House Members passed the bipartisan 
Steel Recovery Act. This bipartisan legislation calls for quotas to be 
placed on foreign steel to get back to its pre-crisis levels of July, 
1997.
  The bill would also set up a steel monitoring system that would track 
the amount of steel imports into the United States by foreign 
countries.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not going to go into detail this morning about the 
reasons why our steel industry and its workers find themselves in this 
serious crisis. We have been through that in the months leading up to 
the vote on March 17. What I am here to say and to join the others in 
pointing out is that there still is a steel crisis in the United States 
and that we need something done immediately.
  As many as four major steel companies are in bankruptcy right now, 
and we know that when those good-paying jobs disappear they disappear 
forever.
  The need for our steel bill was clear on March 17, and today it is 
even more clear. 289 House Members believed that something must be done 
to stop these imports, as we continue to see higher rates of steel 
entering the country each and every day.
  The administration may argue that the amount of steel imports for the 
month of March represents a 30 percent drop in imports since November 
of 1998; and, while that may be true, shipments from countries such as 
Brazil and Japan showed a significant increase.
  It is important to point out that just yesterday the President warned 
Japan that the United States will take action if the steel imports are 
not returned to their pre-crisis levels. I believe that is an absolute 
positive step in the right direction, and I applaud the President for 
this action.
  We must continue, though, in our action to make sure that passage of 
the bill that the House sent over is approved in the Senate and signed 
by the President of the United States.
  On behalf of the American steelworkers and their families, I ask our 
administration and the Senate to act to end this crisis. This is not 
about free trade. It is about fair trade.

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