We Thank You Congressman Visclosky

Rep. Visclosky to Enjoy Well-Deserved Retirement 

The American steel industry is losing one of its staunchest allies in Congress at the conclusion of the current session. 

U.S. Representative Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) announced in early November that he will not seek re-election in 2020 after serving 35 years in Congress representing the popular steel mill district of Northwest Indiana just south of Chicago. 

Visclosky was born in Gary, Indiana and has been in office since 1986, making him the longest-serving member of Indiana’s Congressional delegation. He has fought tirelessly for the betterment of the American steel industry and USW members. 

Visclosky represents Indiana’s Congressional District 1, which is the largest steel-producing district in the country. U.S. Steel’s Gary Works and ArcelorMittal’s plate mill in Burns Harbor are in Visclosky’s district and the congressman has always stood front and center during the trying times in America’s steel industry. 

Over his long Congressional career, Visclosky has represented thousands of USW members and could always be counted on to voice the concerns of our union brothers and sisters. 

Visclosky was a leader of the Congressional Steel Caucus for many years and he fought for tougher trade enforcement rules. He has been a crucial voice in combating China’s “dumping” of cheap, state- subsidized steel into the U.S. He realized that steel production was the foundation of Northwest Indiana and the foundation of our national defense and national security. 

And he fought to provide and keep the well-paying, benefit-friendly steel mill jobs in the part of Indiana known as The Region. America’s steelworkers will be hard-pressed to find another ally in Congress as effective as Visclosky. 

The Alliance for American Manufacturing wants to thank Rep. Visclosky for his stellar career in support of steelworkers and manufacturing. We hate to see you go Pete; but, enjoy your well-deserved retirement. 

Jeff Bonior is a staff writer at the Alliance for American Manufacturing