President Obama Sending White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to Visit Iron Range Hard Hit By Layoffs Stemming From Foreign Steel Dumping

Press Release

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, the President's top advisor, will be in Virginia, MN at Range Community & Technical College on Tuesday, December 22nd to discuss the Iron Range layoffs and the national steel crisis directly with affected workers, mining executives, business leaders and local elected officials. Today, Governor Mark Dayton, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and Congressman Rick Nolan announced the plans to host McDonough on the Iron Range. Further details regarding the exact time and agenda will be forthcoming.

The announcement follows personal meetings and discussions among the four -- and with McDonough -- during which they emphasized the gravity of the situation on the Iron Range, where nearly 2,000 miners have lost their jobs in the worst iron mining and steel industry downturn in decades. They further pointed out that the crisis threatening the industries threatens the survival of the U.S. mining and steel industries -- and with it the nation's economic and natural security. Iron Range legislators also joined the governor and the congressional delegation in sending a letter directly to President Obama urging a meeting to address the crisis.

"Minnesota steelworkers urgently need help from the Administration in Washington," said Governor Mark Dayton. "I thank President Obama for sending his Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, to help us with the very serious economic problems facing Minnesotans on the Iron Range. We need the administration to do everything possible to fight back against the illegal dumping of foreign steel."

"For generations, Minnesota steel workers have met the highest standards of excellence in steel production. On a level playing field they can compete with any country in the world," Klobuchar said. "I look forward to the opportunity for Denis to hear directly from Iron Range workers and discuss concrete steps to crack down on foreign steel dumping, which has undercut our domestic industry."

"Minnesota's iron ore and steel workers can compete with anybody in the world on a level playing field," said Sen. Franken. "But the industry has been shaken by foreign competitors who are flooding American markets with illegally dumped steel. The Northland is struggling, and we need action. That's why we called on President Obama and his Administration to help us remedy this problem. I'm pleased they are paying attention, and that the President has tasked his Chief of Staff to head to the Iron Range. We need to do everything we can to fight for our workers and producers, and this is an important step."

"This meeting is a critical step forward in our fight to get the Iron Range back to work," Congressman Rick Nolan said. "I'm gratified that the President has given his personal attention to the crisis by sending his most trusted and most senior advisor to the Range to hear directly from those affected. This year alone, over 2,000 steelworkers in Minnesota have lost their jobs as a result of foreign producers dumping low-cost subsidized steel into our country -- and unless constructive action is taken now, miners and steelworkers in Minnesota and across the country will soon face even more layoffs."