SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In a continuing effort to promote Illinois and American-made products, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, is sponsoring a resolution calling on the state to use steel and iron products made in Illinois.

“With the steel industry serving as a vital cog in the Metro-East economy, we should be using our state’s buying power to incentivize local economic growth and create jobs,” Hoffman said. “Aside from the economic benefits, the state is getting a superior product by purchasing steel made here in Illinois, rather than overseas.”

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of steel jobs in the United States has declined more than 35 percent since 2000. In the Metro-East, steel plants have been forced to shut down or lay off employees. Hoffman is sponsoring House Resolution 372, urging the state of Illinois to buy steel and iron made in Illinois to help support local businesses and middle-class families. Hoffman was recently alarmed to learn that the Chicago Transit Authority had decided to buy steel for its new railcars from a manufacturer in China, instead of backing employers and workers in Illinois.

“The decision made by the Chicago Transit Authority was shortsighted,” Hoffman said. “In order to stop the trend of jobs being shipped overseas we need to invest our tax dollars here in businesses that are committed to employing the hard-working families of Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Recognizing the important economic contribution of local steel mills and their employees, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, is encouraging Illinois agencies to purchase steel made in Illinois.

“We should be making every effort to buy and use the high-quality steel made here in Illinois,” Stuart said. “The steel industry has been an important economic factor for our region. When we buy steel that is made here, we help to support the hardworking men and women who make the material needed to build our communities.”

Stuart is backing House Resolution 372, which identifies the economic importance of Illinois steel. Overproduction and artificially low prices from foreign markets has hurt American production, which is why House Resolution 372 is advocating that preference be given to local steel for publicly-funded infrastructure projects. The Chicago Transit Authority recently decided to buy steel for its new railcars from a Chinese manufacturer, sending dollars overseas instead of back to the people of Illinois.

“It’s ridiculous that the Chicago Transit Authority decided to use Chinese-made steel ahead of steel made in Illinois,” Stuart said. “As an agency that receives taxpayer assistance, such a move was unacceptable. We need to do a better job of prioritizing our workers, and recognizing this resolution is a step in that direction.”