Charles Rangel: “I rise in support of H.R. 975. I agree with the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer) that there are problems with this…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 975. I agree with the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer) that there are problems with this bill. The administration has pointed that out. I myself would prefer that we be considering legislation today that is consistent with our international trade agreements and that would have more of a chance of being enacted into law. This is especially so if we expect other nations to live up to our obligations. However, it is abundantly clear that our steelworkers and companies have suffered immense harm, including as many as 10,000 jobs lost, severe production cutbacks, and several companies have gone into bankruptcy as a result of the import surge over the last year. We as a country should have responded more quickly and more effectively. The administration's response over the last few months has been commendable, applying our trade laws aggressively and effectively within the bounds of the international trade rules. But that response is really too late in coming, and so we have the enormous concern and the frustration that led to the introduction of this legislation that we are considering here today. We need to find a solution to the steel problem, and I hope we all agree on at least that much.”