Mrvan Statement at Congressional Steel Caucus Hearing on the State of the Steel Industry

Washington, DC - Below, please find the opening statement as prepared for delivery from Congressman Frank J. Mrvan, Vice Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, during today's hearing on the State of the Steel Industry.

A video of the hearing is available here, and below are the statements from the witnesses.

Opening statement from Congressman Mrvan:

"Good morning and thank you to all of the witnesses for travelling to be here today. I would especially like to welcome Roxanne Brown, who is testifying in front of this Caucus for the first time in her new capacity as the International President of USW. And, of course, thank you to my friend, Chairman Crawford, for his continued leadership in advocating for the American steel industry and its workforce.

"Every year, this hearing yields important discussion about how Congress can engage to address the ongoing challenges of the domestic steel industry. And there is no better time to be having this conversation than right now in anticipation of the renegotiation of major labor contracts, new investments in facilities across the country, the reauthorization of federal surface transportation dollars, and the pending review of USMCA.

"Preserving the strength of American steel manufacturing is deeply personal for me and the community I represent. As I have mentioned in front of this Caucus many times before, my grandfather was an immigrant from Czechoslovakia and a steelworker who spent 53 years in the mills in East Chicago. In Northwest Indiana, the steel industry is the economic engine that supports our entire region, and people depend on these jobs to support their families, secure their retirement, and maintain their healthcare.

"The hardworking men and women at the heart of this industry deserve fair wages, safe working conditions, and continued investment into the long-term health of legacy facilities that helped build this country. In Northwest Indiana, the steel industry directly employs about 13,000 workers, many of whom will be bargaining new contracts in the coming months. As the witnesses in front of me look towards those negotiations, it is vital that they find a solution that rewards American workers and maintains the health and strength of the industry.

"It is particularly important that we continue to invest in the long-term future of facilities supported and run by organized labor. Northwest Indiana has long been the top steel producing region in the nation, and the state as a whole is responsible for more than a quarter of the nation's total steel output. Investments like the relining of the Blast Furnace at Gary Works and the reopening of the Gary Tin Mill are important investments to drive job growth in the short term. But we also need to ensure that the communities that built America continue to be central to the future of steelmaking. That means finding ways to keep legacy facilities economically competitive in the long-term and working toward more sustainable steel production across the board.

"The Steel Caucus also remains focused on curbing global excess capacity and protecting American steel producers against unfair trade practices. Over the last month, Mr. Crawford and I have weighed in on the threat of Chinese autos to American steelmakers and oppose any proposal lowering barriers to access for Chinese automakers into American markets. We are also closely monitoring the Section 301 investigation on excess capacity and have encouraged the Administration to selectively stack remedies from this investigation on top of existing 232 tariffs.

"As North American trading partners meet in the coming weeks to discuss the renegotiation of USMCA, the Steel Caucus will also be engaged with the Administration to strengthen and expand melt and pour standards to prevent steel from non-North American markets from being dumped on our shores.

"From the mines to the mills to the downstream producers, the steel industry is the driver of our nation's economy, energy security, and national defense. I look forward to today's discussion to learn more about how we can be advocates for the continued health and strength of American steelmakers and its workforce."

Witness list and testimony:

• Patrick Bloom, EVP of Government Relations for Cleveland Cliffs, on behalf of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), click here.
• Roxanne Brown, International President of the United Steelworkers, click here.
• Donnie Holder, Chairman of the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI), VP of Global Trade Affairs of Webco Industries, click here.
• Leon Topalian, President & CEO of Nucor, click here.
• Kristopher Westbrooks, President and COO of Metallus, on behalf of the Steel Manufactures Association (SMA), click here.

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