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Statement by Leo W. Gerard,
International President United Steelworkers (USW)
The Restoring America’s Competitiveness Act (TRACA)
Introduction of Bill, U.S. House of Representatives
March 29, 2006
I’m here today to commend Congressman Cardin for his leadership in introducing the Restoring America’s Competitiveness Act of 2006 (TRACA). This legislation draws the line in the sand: it’s time to preserve and strengthen our laws against unfair trade. It’s time to say that we’re not going to trade our trade laws away on the altar of free trade. We’re going to stand up for our jobs and our standard of living.
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USW President Leo W. Gerard (left) and Congressman Ben Cardin (D-MD) at a press event in the U.S. Capitol announcing introduction of (TRACA) in Congress
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We’re drowning in a sea of red ink with huge federal budget deficits and a trade deficit that every reasonable economist has criticized as unsustainable. Just last month the Department of Commerce announced that America had racked up a record trade deficit of more than $700 billion dollars in 2005. This year, we’re already on track to mark a new record. |
And what is the Bush Administration doing? They’re standing with their hands behind their backs while our trading partners reach into our pockets to rob us of our jobs and our standard of living. While our trading partners attack the laws we have to stop unfair trade, the Administration has done little or nothing to respond – either here to save our jobs or at the WTO to save the our trade laws.
Let me tell you, the trade laws and the terminology in this bill require a translator, but our members understand them - they mean the difference between having a manufacturing job that supports their families and communities and standing in the unemployment line. They mean the difference between being able to send their children to college and sending them to Wal-Mart to find work.
The trade laws Congressman Cardin’s bill is designed to strengthen are the same laws that allowed the U.S. steel industry to restructure and survive as it exists today. These are the same trade laws the Bush Administration refused to use – over and over again – when the US International Trade Commission (US ITC) recommended remedies for American industries harmed by cheap Chinese imports. This Administration would rather side with the Chinese at the expense of American workers. Just four months ago President Bush refused to impose tariffs on pipe imports from China under Section 421 of the trade law. This Friday (March 24, 2005) we learned that Wheatland Tube in Sharon, PA is shutting down their state-of-the-art plant, putting yet more American manufacturing workers out of a job.
This bill will help do the job and the United Steelworkers look forward to working towards its passage. We also look forward to standing with Congressman Cardin and his colleagues as we work to fight future Free Trade Agreements, such as those with Oman, Peru and Columbia that continue to follow the CAFTA-model of corporate investment agreements that are totally inadequate in protecting worker rights and the environment.
Its time for Congress to focus on positive initiatives like the Restoring America’s Competitiveness Act so we can begin to correct the failures of this Administration’s damaging economic and trade policies.
Summary of The Restoring America’s Competitiveness Act of 2006 (“TRACA”)
Press Release: Steel Industry Coalition Applauds Introduction of Restoring America’s Competitiveness Act to Level International Trade Playing Field
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