Byron Dorgan: “Senator Daschle, the majority leader, was in the Chamber today talking about a decision that will be made in the coming…”

“Senator Daschle, the majority leader, was in the Chamber today talking about a decision that will be made in the coming days by the Bush administration on the subject of trade disputes that exist with respect to the American steel industry. What is all this about? It is that the steel industry, as with many other American industries, has been under assault. It has been under assault by unfair trade coming from abroad, products being dumped in our country into our marketplace below their acquisition cost, undercutting our domestic producers. This is unfair trade. It is trade that violates our trade laws. In fact, an International Trade Commission investigation has recently determined that the flood of foreign steel has significantly hurt the U.S. steel industry. The question the President will decide next week is: What will be the remedy? What will be done about it? If our steel industry is being threatened and assaulted by unfair trade and it is closing plants, going into bankruptcy, laying off workers, what is the remedy? That is the question this administration will answer next Wednesday. My hope is they will answer this question in an aggressive way. My hope is they will say, we intend to stand up for American steel. My hope is they will say, we intend to stand up for all American producers when confronted with unfair trade.”