{"id":2337367,"date":"2024-09-05T15:54:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T19:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-woos-us-steel-but-pushes-policies-that-hurt-steel-industry\/"},"modified":"2024-09-05T15:58:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T19:58:45","slug":"harris-woos-us-steel-but-pushes-policies-that-hurt-steel-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-woos-us-steel-but-pushes-policies-that-hurt-steel-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Harris Woos US Steel But Pushes Policies That Hurt Steel Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fharris-woos-us-steel-but-pushes-policies-that-hurt-steel-industry%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2337367&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Vice President Kamala Harris has\u200d faced criticism for her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/john-kerry-reveals-hypocrisy-on-climate-policy\/\" title=\"John Kerry reveals hypocrisy on climate policy\">environmental policies<\/a>, which\u200b some argue contributed to U.S. Steel&#8217;s disinvestment in a vital project in Pennsylvania. Initially, U.S. Steel planned to invest over $1 \u2064billion in the Mon Valley Works project but withdrew after pressure from climate activists. In 2023, U.S. Steel agreed to sell to Japan&#8217;s Nippon Steel, which intends to revive the project. Despite this, Harris has \u2064publicly opposed the foreign acquisition, positioning herself as an ally to steelworkers\u2063 amidst ongoing criticism of her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-delivers-significant-setback-for-biden-in-ruling-on-new-oil-and-gas-drilling-leases-reports\/\" title=\"Federal Judge Delivers \u2018Significant Setback\u2019 For Biden In Ruling On New Oil And Gas Drilling Leases: Reports\">environmental agenda<\/a> that aligns with the very activists blamed for the\u2064 initial disinvestment. Local leaders have pointed to the influence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gabriella-hoffman-thats-so-swampy-ron-klains-wife-gets-new-environmental-envoy-role\/\" title=\"Gabriella Hoffman: That\u2019s So Swampy: Ron Klain\u2019s Wife Gets New Environmental Envoy Role\">radical environmentalist groups<\/a> as \u2064detrimental to\u200d job prospects\u200b in the steel industry.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Vice President Kamala Harris has championed radical environmental policies supported by activist groups that, in part, led to U.S. Steel&rsquo;s disinvestment in a crucial Pennsylvania project. Now, a Japanese firm might revive the project &mdash; but Harris has come out opposing the foreign takeover in a bid to appeal to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-signals-support-for-amazon-workers-vote-to-unionize\/\" title=\"Biden Signals Support For Amazon Workers\u2019 Vote To Unionize\">working-class voters<\/a>. It&rsquo;s a cynical ploy, however, considering her own agenda panders to the same activists who are partly to blame for the situation.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, U.S. Steel committed to investing over $1 billion in the Mon Valley Works project but withdrew two years later amid, in part, pressure from climate activists, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/news\/us-steel-cancels-mon-valley-works-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The original project was expected to improve &ldquo;jobs&rdquo; and &ldquo;air quality,&rdquo; Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This community got blindsided because this is a good project,&rdquo; Fitzgerald said when U.S. Steel announced it would not be investing in the project.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Steel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/18\/business\/us-steel-nippon-steel-deal.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">agreed to sell itself<\/a> to Nippon Steel in 2023, and Nippon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/news\/nippon-steel-u-s-steel-billion-dollar-investment-mon-valley-works-plant-operation-pittsburgh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pledged<\/a> to re-invest in the Mon Valley Works project. U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/09\/02\/politics\/kamala-harris-us-steel\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNN<\/a>, &ldquo;The bottom line is these are investments in the future of American steelmaking and the employees, families, and communities that rely on it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Harris, however, has come out in favor of keeping U.S. Steel American-owned, saying Monday that &ldquo;US Steel is a historic American company, and it is vital for our nation to maintain strong American steel companies.&rdquo; The United Steelworkers union said Harris &ldquo;once again made it clear that she will always stand up for steelworkers,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/nippon-steel-japan-us-takeover-kamala-harris-election-rcna169486\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NBC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But it&rsquo;s Harris&rsquo; radical environmentalist policy agenda that emboldened the same climate change activists partly behind the disinvestment in the Mon Valley Works project that would have improved jobs for these very steelworkers.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, then Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, according to CBS News, blamed the lack of support from &ldquo;elected officials in the region&rdquo; and &ldquo;constant blowback from environmentalists&rdquo; for the divestment.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward also called out &ldquo;radical environmental groups like PennFuture, GASP, and Breathe Project, funded in part by elitist Pittsburgh foundations, [for] bully[ing] [politicians]  into abandoning blue-collar workers, the PA Building trades, and the very heart of what built America &mdash; PITTSBURGH STEEL,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/delawarevalleyjournal.com\/pa-senate-republicans-blame-wolf-green-activists-for-mon-valley-works-cancelation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to Delaware Valley Journal.<\/p>\n<p>One of the groups pressuring U.S. Steel included Clear Water Action. The organization released a report in 2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleanwateraction.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Mon%20Valley%20report%20May%202019%20FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alleging<\/a> U.S. Steel was contributing directly to air pollution in the Mon Valley region. Clear Water Action has since <a href=\"https:\/\/cleanwater.org\/releases\/national-environmental-groups-endorse-kamala-harris-president\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">endorsed<\/a> Harris.<\/p>\n<p>Another group involved in the pressure blitz against U.S. Steel is Group Against Smog &amp; Pollution (GASP), which had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gasp-pgh.org\/let-s-cut-through-the-noise-talk-about-u-s-steel-s-decision-not-to-invest-in-the-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">previously stated<\/a> it has spent &ldquo;over 50 years&rdquo; &ldquo;fighting U.S. Steel over its ongoing emissions issues&rdquo; and that it was &ldquo;OK&rdquo; being blamed for U.S. Steel&rsquo;s withdrawal.<\/p>\n<p>GASP is currently &ldquo;working with several community partners on the EPA-funded Ambient Air Monitoring and Air Sampling Project.&rdquo;  GASP also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gasp-pgh.org\/gasp-lauds-epa-launch-of-new-initiative-to-help-people-access-unprecedented-enviro-justice-resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">applauded<\/a> the Biden-Harris administration for &ldquo;the federal infrastructure and jobs bills&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gasp-pgh.org\/gasp-lauds-launch-of-new-national-office-dedicated-to-advancing-environmental-justice-civil-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as well as<\/a> the Inflation Reduction Act for its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nobel-winner-refutes-climate-change-narrative-points-out-ignored-factor\/\" title=\"Nobel laureate challenges climate change narrative, highlights overlooked factor.\">climate change focus<\/a>. In addition, the EPA employees union almost immediately <a href=\"https:\/\/afge238.org\/news\/press-release-epa-employees-union-endorses-kamala-harris-for-president\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">endorsed<\/a> Harris.<\/p>\n<p>The $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/08\/16\/politics\/biden-inflation-reduction-act-signing\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was signed<\/a> by President Biden in 2022. Approximately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/in-brief\/us-climate-bill-inflation-reduction-act-gets-right-wrong-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$370 billion<\/a> was allocated to combat climate change. Biden later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2023\/08\/09\/remarks-by-president-biden-at-a-campaign-reception-albuquerque-nm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">admitted<\/a> the legislation &ldquo;has nothing to do with inflation; it has to do with &hellip; the single-largest investment in climate change anywhere in the world.&rdquo; Harris emphatically supported the Inflation Reduction Act, casting the tie-breaking vote.<\/p>\n<p>Harris was also a staunch proponent of the Green New Deal while senator and has called for <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/kamala-harris-stands-green-new-deal-climate-initiatives\/story?id=112152079\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prosecuting<\/a> fossil fuel companies. Harris also <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/30\/harris-invents-2020-fracking-position-to-hide-her-actual-views\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> during the 2019 Democrat primary that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no question I&rsquo;m in favor of banning fracking,&rdquo; when asked if she would commit to a federal ban.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So yes,&rdquo; she continued. <\/p>\n<p>Harris now <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/30\/harris-invents-2020-fracking-position-to-hide-her-actual-views\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claims<\/a>, however, that she would &ldquo;not ban fracking&rdquo; &mdash; a stance that&rsquo;s politically expedient in states like Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vice President Kamala Harris has advocated for extreme environmental policies backed by activist organizations, which contributed to U.S. Steel&#8217;s withdrawal from an important project in Pennsylvania. A Japanese company is now considering reviving this project, but Harris has publicly opposed the foreign acquisition to win over working-class voters. This move appears disingenuous, given that her own agenda aligns with the activists who played a role in creating this situation. In 2019, U.S. Steel pledged over $1 billion for the Mon Valley Works project but pulled out two years later due to pressure from climate activists, as reported by CBS News. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald noted that the original initiative was intended to enhance both &#8220;jobs&#8221; and &#8220;air quality,&#8221; expressing disappointment when U.S. Steel announced its withdrawal.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, U.S. Steel agreed to be acquired by Nippon Steel, which committed to reinvesting in the Mon Valley Works project. CEO David Burritt stated that these investments are crucial for the future of American steelmaking and for supporting employees and their communities. However, Harris has voiced her support for keeping U.S. Steel under American ownership, emphasizing its historical significance and importance to national interests.<\/p>\n<p>The United Steelworkers union praised Harris&#8217;s commitment to steelworkers; however, it is her radical environmental policies that have empowered climate activists who contributed to U.S. Steel\u2019s decision not to invest in a project that would have benefited those very workers.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, then-Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman attributed the divestment partly to insufficient support from local elected officials and backlash from environmentalists. Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward criticized &#8220;radical environmental groups&#8221; like PennFuture and GASP for pressuring politicians into neglecting blue-collar workers essential to America&#8217;s industrial foundation\u2014Pittsburgh steel.<\/p>\n<p>Among those pressuring U.S. Steel was Clear Water Action, which accused the company of causing air pollution in Mon Valley; this organization has since endorsed Harris as well as GASP\u2014an entity with a long history of opposing U.S. Steel\u2019s emissions issues\u2014which expressed no regret about being blamed for its withdrawal.<\/p>\n<p>GASP is currently collaborating on an EPA-funded air monitoring initiative while also commending Biden-Harris administration efforts related to infrastructure and climate change legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Signed into law by President Biden in 2022 with $370 billion allocated specifically for combating climate change\u2014Biden later acknowledged it was primarily focused on climate rather than inflation\u2014Harris supported it strongly enough even cast a tie-breaking vote.<\/p>\n<p>As a senator, she was also an advocate of the Green New Deal and called for legal action against fossil fuel companies while previously stating her intent during a Democratic primary debate in 2019 favoring a federal fracking ban\u2014a position she now claims she would not pursue due largely political considerations relevant in states such as Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>Brianna Lyman serves as an elections correspondent at The Federalist after graduating from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy; her work appears across various media platforms including Newsmax and Fox News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2337368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-11.20.09-AM-e1725549729714-1024x577.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[4021,40222,39699],"class_list":["post-2337367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-harris","tag-steel-industry","tag-us-steel"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-at-11.20.09-AM-e1725549729714-1024x577.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2337367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2337368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2337367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2337367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2337367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}