[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO RESPOND TO INCREASE OF STEEL IMPORTS AS A 
             RESULT OF FINANCIAL CRISES IN ASIA AND RUSSIA

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                               speech of

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 12, 1998

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H. 
Con. Res. 350.
  This resolution, while drafted with the best intentions, falls far 
too short. It completely misses the mark. Foreign nations are illegally 
dumping their cheap steel in our market, and with this resolution, what 
is the U.S. going to do? With this non-binding resolution, we're only 
asking the Administration to go and consult. We're not even telling 
them. We're asking if they could please go and consult with Japan, 
Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, Europe, and so forth. Consult? Under this 
Administration, under the Republican controlled Congress, we've been 
consulting for years. How much longer do we have to consult? How many 
more reports do we have to look at? How much longer should workers in 
Illinois and across this nation suffer? How many more good-paying jobs 
in the steel industry do we have to lose? How long do we have to wait?
  With this resolution, we might as well wait. Let us continue to wait 
as American workers see their paychecks shrink. Let us continue to wait 
as the U.S. steel industry closes more plants and factories. Let us 
continue to wait for more consultations and more reports that tell us 
what we already know. Let us continue to wait as American workers wind 
up on the unemployment lines. Let us continue to wait as more and more 
families file for bankruptcies.
  Mr. Speaker, we can talk all we want, but if our talk isn't backed up 
with action, foreign nations will see all the talk as hot air, and 
unfortunately, that is what has happened. Instead of hot air, let's 
back up our words with trade sanctions. Instead of a non-binding 
resolution, why not pass a law that directs the President to take a 
stronger stand against cheap imports and unfair competition?
  Since I've been a Member of this body, I have always advocated a 
simple philosophy. If you don't let us sell American products in your 
market, we won't let you sell your products in ours. But instead of 
fighting for American workers and American industry, this 
Administration and free trade advocates continue to bend over backwards 
to let foreign competitors flood our markets with cheap products while 
putting up protectionist barriers around their markets. How is that 
free trade? Let us not kid ourselves any longer. We do no live in a 
world of free trade. We live in a global economy of special interests. 
Our special interests should be American workers, but our trade 
policies don't reflect that.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote against this empty 
resolution. This resolution is watered-down, toothless, and 
ineffective. A yes vote for this is pure political posturing and does 
nothing for the U.S. steel industry. We don't need more talk. We need 
the force of law, and this toothless resolution isn't it.

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