EDITORIAL: Steelworkers need to be put to work

Times of Northwest Indiana

The aim of U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky's American Steel First Act is protectionism, pure and simple. Even so, the bill is worth considering.

Visclosky's Northwest Indiana district is heavily dependent on the steel industry, and that economic backbone is weakening.

On Wednesday, a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed the unemployment rate in Northwest Indiana zoomed to 8.3 percent in December compared to 4.6 percent a year earlier. That was the second-highest increase in the nation.

"These layoffs have serious repercussions throughout our local economy, and sitting idly by is just not an option," Visclosky said Wednesday.

And those figures don't take into account workers who have seen their hours cut drastically so they can be kept on the payroll.

The American Steel First Act, House Resolution 595, introduced by Visclosky and Congressional Steel Caucus Vice Chairman Tim Murphy, R-Pa., would require the use of American-made steel for federal construction projects undertaken by the U.S. Defense, Homeland Security and Transportation departments.

"As we work to revitalize our economy by modernizing and expanding our infrastructure, we can take the effort a step further by using only American construction materials, especially steel," Visclosky said.

The Congressional Steel Caucus, which Visclosky heads, brought major U.S. steel industry leaders to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to urge Congress to consider the steel industry's plight.

Ordinarily, we would recommend pursuing the cheapest steel, regardless of the source, for federal construction projects.

However, these are extraordinary times, so we support promoting the use of steel produced domestically for use in federally funded projects.

Our steelworkers need to be put back to work full time so they can buoy the economy.