AISI Praises Climate Change Letter Sent by Manufacturing States Senators
04/16/2010 - AISI expresses gratitude to Sens. Sherrod Brown, Debbie Stabenow, Carl Levin, Robert Casey, Arlen Specter, Mark Warner, Claire McCaskill, Evan Bayh and Kay Hagan for their extensive efforts to ensure that climate legislation under development promotes manufacturing competitiveness, maintenance of jobs and reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The American Iron and Steel Institute President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson expressed gratitude to Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) for their extensive efforts to ensure that climate legislation under development promotes manufacturing competitiveness, maintenance of jobs and reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions.
These Senators collectively sent a letter to Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) outlining the necessary aspects of climate change legislation to domestic manufacturing. AISI sent a letter to the nine manufacturing states Senators expressing appreciation for their efforts and reiterating the critical issues to the steel industry that were addressed in the Senators’ letter.
“Coming from America’s vital manufacturing states, these Senators understand how critical it is for any comprehensive climate legislation to address key issues essential to maintaining a strong U.S. industrial base,” said Gibson in the letter. “The manufacturing states Senators appropriately recognize the importance of providing a full allocation of allowances to energy-intensive, trade-exposed manufacturers for both direct emissions costs and to offset the expected increases in energy costs that manufacturers will face.
“We also support the manufacturing states Senators’ statement that effective national climate legislation must prevail over inconsistent State laws and initiatives and should supersede existing federal law and avoid overlapping regulation of greenhouse gases,” continued Gibson. “It is also essential that legislation include an automatically triggered border adjustment measure for imports from all countries that do not have in place comparable GHG emissions regulations. This letter from the manufacturing states Senators rightly highlights this important measure that will promote comparable action from developing countries and prevent carbon leakage.
“Finally, we appreciate the letter’s support for a robust federal research and development effort into breakthrough technologies for key manufacturing sectors,” added Gibson. “This effort truly demonstrates the Senators’ understanding of the challenges that the manufacturing industry faces in the context of proposed climate legislation.”
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. The Institute comprises 25 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 138 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.
