'The Decline of American Industry is Not Inevitable' - Gallagher leads Wisconsin Roundtable on CCP Threat to American Manufacturing
STOUGHTON, WI- Today, Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party hosted a roundtable event in Stoughton, Wisconsin on the Chinese Communist Party's threat to American manufacturing.
The lawmakers were joined by key US manufacturing stakeholders including Bob Wahlin, CEO of Stoughton Trailers, Steve Kramer, President of United Steelworkers Local 9777, and Mamun Rashid, CEO of Auxin Solar. The group gathered in Stoughton Trailers' active factory, where they manufacture truck chassis -- an American product that has to compete against illegally subsidized Chinese truck chassis in the US market. From industry to industry, the lawmakers learned of this unrestricted CCP economic coercion to cheat, undercut, and ultimately supplant American manufacturing around the world and even on our own soil.
Watch key moments from the roundtable below. (Downloadable Video & B-roll for TV/Radio Distribution HERE)
“The decline of American industry is not inevitable. It never has been. Deindustrialization is a policy choice. And it’s been the favored choice of both parties for far too long.” — Chairman Gallagher
View a downloadable clip of Chairman Gallagher HERE.
“We have something so precious in this country which the CCP hates: freedom... It’s so bad right now— the squelching of freedoms by the Chinese Communist Party— that their economy is in a tailspin as we speak.” - Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi
View a downloadable clip of Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi HERE.
“It is clear to me that the federal government needs to do a better job… pushing back against PRC companies that don’t play by the same rules and standards and laws that every other industrialized country in the world does.” - Select Committee Member LaHood
View a downloadable clip of Rep. LaHood HERE.
“Purposeful unfair trade is a feature of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic policy and U.S. manufacturers like Stoughton suffer as a result.” - Bob Wahlin, CEO of Stoughton Trailers
View a downloadable clip of Mr. Wahlin HERE.
“Unfortunately China’s massive subsidies of technology have propelled its own producers over U.S. firms, shut the U.S. out of China’s wind market, driven down world prices, and caused lost sales in the U.S. market.” - Steve Kramer, President of United Steelworkers Local 9777.
View a downloadable clip of Mr. Kramer HERE.
“Standing up to China has not been easy for a company like Auxin [Solar Manufacturing] that many call too small to matter. But we are small because the Chinese have been too good at stifling our growth from unfair competition.” - Mamun Rashid, CEO of Auxin Solar
View a downloadable clip of Mr. Rashid HERE.