[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5089-5090]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN STEEL

 Ms. MIKULSKI. I am proud to join Majority Leader Daschle, 
Senator Rockefeller and the other cosponsors today in introducing the 
Steel Industry Consolidation and Retiree Benefits Protection Act, a 
bill that seeks to maintain the viability of a critical domestic 
industry, and maintain a safety net for its workers and retirees who 
today live in fear of losing their healthcare coverage.
  I am on the side of steel and steelworkers. I will stand up for 
steelworkers and make sure that their voices are heard in the Senate.
  On March 20th, President Bush announced that he would impose tariffs 
on steel imports, the tariffs weren't as high as we believe necessary 
to give America's steel industry the opportunity to consolidate and get 
back on its feet. The tariffs imposed under section 201 were a first 
step, but we can not afford half-measures. Congress now needs to take 
the next step and address retiree health care benefits.
  I recently held a hearing to listen to the people behind ``legacy 
costs''--the workers; the retirees; the widows; the executives; and 
worker representatives whose voices are not being heard. I heard from 
retirees and widows from the Bethlehem Steel plant at Sparrow's Point 
in Baltimore. I will never forget hearing Gertrude Misterka tell me 
that she would have to spend nearly $7,000 on her prescriptions if she 
lost her husband's health care benefits. She would be in tough shape if 
she lost those health benefits that her husband, a proud Korean War 
veteran, Charlie, worked so hard for.
  I will not forget Jeff Mikula who has a job at Sparrow's Point but if 
that plant closed, he lose the benefits he has worked so hard for over 
the last 26 years. I will not forget McCall White, a retired 
steelworker, a proud veteran, who worked at Sparrow's point for nearly 
40 years. It is for them and hundreds of thousands in similar 
situations that I will fight. I will fight to make sure legacy costs 
are addressed in a very serious way.


     How would the Rockefeller bill help steelworkers and retirees?

  This bill would help protect the U.S. steel industry and would 
provide health care and life insurance to steel

[[Page 5090]]

retirees of those companies directly effected by unfair trade 
practices.
  This bill helps companies consolidate by addressing the liability 
costs that have served as barrier to the restructuring that many argue 
that is needed by this industry in order to be able to compete. At my 
hearing on the steel industry, I heard how restructuring would help to 
maintain a competitive U.S. steel industry, which is in the national 
interest and would preserve American jobs today and tomorrow good 
paying, American jobs.
  This bill would mean that promises made are promises kept. Steel 
retirees, their families and dependents would have the retirement 
security earned through decades of hard work and sacrifice. This bill 
would establish a health benefits program for retirees modeled on the 
most popular health care for Federal employees the Blue Cross/Blue 
Shield standard plan. This is not the Cadillac, gold-plated health plan 
that some claim these retirees have. These are the benefits that our 
steel workers worked hard for. Under this bill, any steelworker with at 
least 15 years of work in our nation's steel mills would have a basic 
health benefit package that they can count on. This bill would also 
provide a very modest death benefit of $5,000 to the widows of steel 
retirees.


                       Who would this bill help?

  Now, there are now about 142,000 active steelworkers, but there are 
about 600,000 retirees counting on these benefits. By helping those 
with more than 15 years of hard work in our mills, this bill would help 
many of our Nation's active and retired steelworkers. In my own State 
of Maryland, 3,700 people work at the Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point 
facility, but there are 23,000 retired steelworkers, widows and 
dependents. These workers and retirees deserve a basic health benefit 
package that they can rely on.
  I agree with President Bush when he said, ``Steel is an important job 
issue. It is also an important national security issue.'' We need to 
see the President join us on this issue in fighting for American jobs 
and for national security. A sound domestic steel industry is critical 
as we fight the war on terrorism. Steel builds our tanks, our planes 
and our ships. Bethlehem Steel produced the armor to repair the USS 
Cole.
  The policy of our government is to support producers when it is in 
the national interest. National interest means national responsibility. 
Congress voted for nearly $80 billion in farm support over the next 10 
years. It is important to support farmers to make sure we have the 
producers to be food-independent. I voted for the bill that is now in 
conference, and I am happy to stand up for American farmers. Congress 
gave the airlines $15 billion after September 11 because of a national 
emergency. It was the right thing to do.
  Now, we need to stand up for steel. We need to have producers here in 
America to be steel-independent and be ready for national emergencies. 
Make no mistake: This is a national emergency for steel. Standing up 
for steel is in the national interest just like farmers, just like 
airlines.
  There is much to do to ensure that there is a viable U.S. steel 
industry. We need to make sure that the Section 201 tariffs are being 
implemented properly. Steel legacy costs are also a vital, necessary, 
crucial part of ensuring a viable U.S. steel industry. This is part of 
the comprehensive solution. We can not afford half-measures, not with a 
critical industry at the brink of collapse, not with the retirement 
security of hundreds of thousands at risk.
  I urge my colleagues to join us to protect American steel.

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