[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 115 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DINGELL-LaHOOD STEEL LEGACY ACT PRESS CONFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 12, 2002

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, for the thousands of steelworker retirees 
who have lost or are at risk of losing their pension and health care 
benefits, help is needed immediately.
  The bill we have introduced, the Dingell-LaHood Steel Legacy Relief 
Act, will ensure that all retirees of all troubled steel companies--
companies that have closed, companies that are bankrupt, companies that 
are being acquired--will have for themselves and their families health 
benefits equivalent to what's provided by Medicare, and a prescription 
drug benefit similar to the Blue Cross/Blue Shield program.
  To do this, this bipartisan bill sets up a trust fund in the Treasury 
Department that taps steel import duty receipts, the assets of 
government-assumed retiree health care plans, and a portion of the 
profits made by healthy steel companies that benefit from this program.
  We are saying that the United States will not stand by and watch 
while thousands and thousands of workers who helped build this country 
are left unable to take care of themselves and their families.
  We are saying to all of our nation's retired steelworkers: We have 
not forgotten, and we will not let you down.
  This bipartisan legislation is a critical step in our ongoing efforts 
to help the steel industry and steel workers.
  We pushed a long time for the Administration to initiate a Section 
201 steel investigation, and finally last year we got one.
  We pushed the International Trade Commission to recognize the 
devastating effect of steel imports through a finding of injury, and we 
got it.
  Many of us have spent countless hours trying to save steel companies 
in our districts that are on the brink. In my hometown of Cleveland, 
our entire community--steelworkers, local government, state government, 
businesses, churches, citizens--coalesced to keep LTV from shutting the 
doors on our steel mills forever. And we won--the mills remain, and a 
new owner will keep them running.
  And now we are all stepping forward--the steelworkers, steel 
companies, Members of Congress--to ensure that men and women who have 
given 20, 30, even 40 years of their lives to the manufacture of steel 
are not left behind.
  I want to tell all retired steelworkers--whom I meet all the time and 
who ask me how they are going to afford health insurance, how they are 
going to take care of their families--I want to tell all of you: We 
will not rest until this legislation is passed.




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