I’ve spent my life in the steel industry, and I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: a nation that doesn’t make things is a nation in decline. Manufacturing isn’t just one part of our economy, it is the very foundation of our national strength, our prosperity, and our independence. When we let our manufacturing base erode, we are outsourcing our future. For too long, we’ve been told a convenient story: that it’s cheaper and more efficient to let other countries make our goods.
We’ve watched as factories closed, jobs disappeared, and entire communities were hollowed out. This wasn’t just a loss of employment, it was a loss of dignity, skill, and the promise of a middle-class life for millions of Americans. We traded the hum of American factories for the silence of dependence.
Nowhere is this more critical than in the steel industry. Steel is not just another commodity. It is the literal backbone of our nation. It forms the skeletons of our skyscrapers, the decks of our bridges, and the pipelines that carry our energy. Our military relies on it for our ships, tanks, and aircraft. To depend on foreign nations, some of whom do not share our values or interests, for a material so vital to our national security is strategic malpractice.
When we allow unfairly traded, foreign-made steel to flood our market, we are not just getting a “good deal.” We are undermining our own ability to stand on our own two feet. We are creating a vulnerability that can be exploited at any time, whether through supply chain disruptions, trade disputes, or geopolitical conflict. True independence means having the sovereign capability to produce what we need, when we need it.
Supporting domestic manufacturing is the most direct way to rebuild our economy from the ground up. Every ton of steel produced in an American mill has a powerful ripple effect. It supports good-paying, family-sustaining jobs on the factory floor. It creates business for suppliers, truckers, and local shops. It generates tax revenue that funds our schools, roads, and first responders. This is how you build real, lasting wealth for a nation — not through complex financial instruments, but by making tangible things.
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