Washington, D.C. – The Steel Manufacturers Association (“SMA”) today released comments on the outcomes of the 2016 elections.
SMA President Philip K. Bell stated: “The SMA has a long-standing tradition of operating in a bipartisan manner. We are pleased that this contentious election season is now behind us. We look forward to working with both the new Administration and the newly elected 115th Congress to advance policies that support the health and vitality of the U.S. steel industry.
“The SMA was pleased to see many Congressional Steel Caucus members win reelection,” Bell said. “Senator Rob Portman has been a champion for our industry, and he persevered through a challenging race. Among SMA’s top priorities going into 2017 will be strengthening participation in the Steel Caucus and educating new policymakers and staff on SMA’s priorities.
“Steel issues received an unprecedented level of attention during this election season,” Bell said. We must work to maintain this focus and to address the challenges that face 21st Century Steelmakers, such as global steel overcapacity. We also hope for a productive lame-duck session, including passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016,” Bell said.
SMA is the trade association for North America’s electric arc furnace steel producers. SMA’s member companies account for over seventy-five percent of total domestic steel production. For more information, visit the SMA’s website: www.steelnet.org.