{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140918204228/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/vitter-senators-to-itc-protect-american-steel-producers-from-unfair-foreign-trade-practices", "Vitter, Senators to ITC: Protect American Steel Producers from Unfair Foreign Trade Practices", "2014-09-15", "2014", "2014-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "David Vitter", "V000127", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Vitter, Senators to ITC: Protect American Steel Producers from Unfair Foreign Trade Practices\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, September 15, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) today joined a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on the International Trade Commission (ITC) to protect U.S. steel producers from foreign subsidies and unfair trade practices. The steel rebar industry has struggled to compete against imported rebar from Turkey and Mexico that flood the U.S. market through unfair trade practices.\n\"Unfair trade practices could lead to a decrease in demand for our steel made here in America, and that could mean cuts in jobs and pay for Louisianians and other folks across the country in the steel industry,\u201d Vitter said. \u201cFor example, Nucor Corporation just built a major facility in St. James Parish, and we want them to continue as a leader in the industry. Our American workers should be the first to get new business when we build infrastructure here at home \u2013 not foreign countries that cheat the system.\u201d\nVitter signed on to a letter led by Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) and signed by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chuck Schumer (D-NY ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Al Franken (D-MN), Dick Durbin (IL), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO).\nThe senators\u2019 full letter to Chairman Broadbent is below.\nDear Chairman Broadbent:\nWe are writing to express support for the U.S. steel reinforcing bar (\u201crebar\u201d) producers and their workers, and to encourage the International Trade Commission to ensure that foreign subsidies and dumping are prevented from causing additional injury to an already weakened industry.\nAs the Commission is aware, rebar is used primarily by the construction industry to strengthen concrete structures and is an essential component of American infrastructure. The domestic industry should be benefitting from the modest recovery in construction demand in the wake of the recession. Instead, the industry has faced a continuous onslaught of unfairly traded imports which has had a negative impact on rebar producers and their families.\nSince 2010, these imports have flooded the U.S. market at the direct expense of U.S. producers, who have seen their share of the market drop dramatically. Capacity utilization rates are at historically low levels \u2013 near 60 percent \u2013 and production levels have yet to recover from the recession. Profitability has collapsed and returns on investment have been inadequate. Indeed, conditions have deteriorated to such an extent that some U.S. producers have been forced to close production, while others have had to lay off workers, slash hours, and cut pay to stay afloat.\nThe U.S. rebar industry is a major segment of the U.S. steel industry with over seven million tons of production a year. The industry employs thousands of direct rebar workers in several dozen states, and supports tens of thousands of additional jobs throughout the country. These jobs are in jeopardy.\nOn behalf of the U.S. rebar industry and the workers and their families who depend on the full and fair enforcement of our trade laws for their survival, we urge you to give careful consideration to their arguments regarding investigations involving Turkey and Mexico. It is essential that foreign subsidies and dumping be addressed in order to prevent further harm to the U.S. rebar industry and the unwarranted loss of American jobs.\nThank you in advance for your time and consideration of this critical issue.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140918204228/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/vitter-senators-to-itc-protect-american-steel-producers-from-unfair-foreign-trade-practices"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0696989484131336, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}