Sheila Jackson Lee: “I truly sympathize with the plight of the steel industry because we are currently seeing similar layoffs in the oil…”

“I truly sympathize with the plight of the steel industry because we are currently seeing similar layoffs in the oil patch. I know how painful it can be, not only for the people who work in plants and mills but also for small businesses. I am for trade. I am for fair trade. I am for American workers. We have been between 8,000 and 11,000 layoffs. And I would simply say that this is an anti-dumping piece of legislation. H.R. 975 does not violate the WTO because it specifically allows us to prevent any contracting party from taking any action which it considers necessary for the protection of essential security interests. Let us work together in a bipartisan manner to make our nation strong in oil, in steel, in other industries so that we can face the world fairly, not to eliminate opportunities for trade but to ensure that this nation engages in fair trade and that we protect American workers and American industries. Today I rise to speak on behalf of this bill, which would enact various measures to support our steel industry--an industry that has been hard-hit in the wake of the global financial crisis.”