U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Gary, helped persuade the House Appropriations Committee to approve a Buy American Amendment Wednesday that would benefit Northwest Indiana's steel mills.
The amendment to the 2019 Interior Appropriations Act removed provisions that would have allowed federal government agencies to buy imported slab and finished iron and steel products instead of those made in America. Half of the blast furnace capacity in the United States is located along the shores of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana.
“The steel industry is the economic foundation of the Northwest Indiana economy, and it is imperative that American taxpayer dollars are required to be spent in a way that directly supports American workers and the American steel and manufacturing industries," Visclosky said. "I appreciate the action taken today by the House Appropriations Committee to recognize the dignity of American workers, and I will continue to do my best to support the invaluable contributions of the American steel industry to our national economy and our national security.”
The FY 2019 Interior Appropriations Act with the Buy America amendment moved on to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
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