[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 172 (Wednesday, December 12, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H9245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SAVE AMERICAN STEEL INDUSTRY
(Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, today steelworkers from across the United
States have come to Washington to ask our House to recognize their
plight and the plight of U.S. Steel. Today the United States steel
industry is faltering and in danger of collapse. Tens of thousands of
men and women who have helped to secure the defense of this country
through their work in creating and making this product called steel are
in danger of losing their jobs and having their whole way of life be
destroyed.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for this country to ask itself whether or not
it is in our national interest and in the interest of our national
defense to maintain our steel industry; or shall we become dependent on
foreign steel, the same way we are dependent on foreign oil.
This House will have an opportunity before we complete our business
to address the issues, to give the steelworkers some relief, to make it
possible for steel loan guarantees to be more widely applicable, to
give an opportunity for net operating loss to put cash into steel
companies so they can keep going. This Congress has an obligation to
carry forth for the future of this country our ability to make steel.
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