Khanna, who grew up in the Keystone State, is the sponsor of the Modern Steel Act, which aims to strengthen America’s domestic industry, an effort backed by labor, environmental and business groups.
It’s not every day that a California congressman representing Silicon Valley hosts a major event at the site of an old factory in Pennsylvania.
But Rep. Ro Khan (D-Calif.) He has a vision to strengthen the American steel industry. That vision, laid out in a new law called the Modern Steel Act, delivers a modern, strong, environmentally friendly, union-represented steel industry in the 21st century. And Khanna wants to bring it to life in America’s old steel towns, breathing new life into the communities that built our country.
So Khanna traveled to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and started a new initiative inside the long-closed Bethlehem Steel railroad wheel plant.
“I think more people should do that outside of parliament, get out of their constituencies, go into the countryside and learn from places that they may not represent, and I think that would make for a better parliament, a better government,” Kana said. He told NBC News“So it’s certainly helped my economic policy. It’s certainly helped my understanding of America. And I think it’s going to help me wherever my ambitions lead me.”
Kanna is Participated in an event Attendees included our Chairman Scott Paul, United Steelworkers (USW) International President Dave McCall, Cleveland-Cliffs Vice President of Government Relations Patrick Bloom, and numerous labor, environmental and industry leaders, including representatives from a variety of organizations, including the American Iron and Steel Institute, the BlueGreen Alliance, the Sierra Club and the Rocky Mountain Association.
Modern Steel Law provide It would provide $10 billion in cost-share grants, low-interest loans and other funding to build new steel mills that produce near-zero-emissions steel.
“The door is now open for America’s steel industry to grow and transform,” Paul said in a speech at the event.
Trade enforcement actions implemented by both the Trump and Biden administrations mean the U.S. is finally “standing up to China and other countries’ unfair trade practices and excess capacity,” Paul said. This trade enforcement has helped industrial policies like the Control Inflation Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act begin to take hold. Steelwork jobs, especially union steelwork jobs, are Providing a stable career that can support a family.
“This is a strong foundation to build on,” Paul said. “Moving forward, we need initiatives like Congressman Khanna’s Modern Steel Act that encourage capital investment and expansion to meet domestic demand instead of relying heavily on unsustainable imports. That means more American-made steel, more steelworkers, and better economic and national security for all of us.”
Certainly, there is a will to do so. U.S. steel companies like Cleveland-Cliffs are already Reducing carbon emissions and Opening a new factoryThe company announced in March that it had received $575 million in funding from the Department of Energy. Pursuing decarbonization investments The work will be carried out at two facilities: Middletown, Ohio, and Butler, Pennsylvania.
The goal now is to further grow the steel industry, with a focus on building new, modern facilities in areas most affected by deindustrialization, while also taking the lead in reducing carbon emissions.
“These will be modern plants,” said Kanna. Said“This is about blending the future with the heritage of the past and paving the way for America to move forward. It’s a new industry, but it’s providing the same kinds of jobs people’s parents and grandparents had, just in a modern way. It’s going to be cleaner, safer and better paying.”
Sierra Club Praised The administration welcomed the introduction of the Modern Steel Act, saying it “aims to reduce toxic pollution, fight climate change, improve safety, and protect and create good-paying union jobs for American workers.”
“With clean manufacturing, we don’t have to choose between building a strong economy, creating good-paying jobs, and ensuring clean air and water for our communities,” said CeCe Grant, the organization’s industry campaign director. “Thanks to investments made through the Inflation Control Act, we have the technology, workforce and capital we need to transform our industrial sector.”
“Now, all we need is courage and innovation from leaders like Rep. Ro Khanna to step into a more sustainable future,” Grant continued. “Being an environmentalist isn’t just about saving polar bears. It’s also about reviving domestic manufacturing in states like western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. It’s about reinvesting in communities that have been left behind.”
