Reps. object to Chinese steel for Mexico border fence

[Bravo Zulu]

Reps. object to Chinese steel for Mexico border fence
Thursday, October 18, 2007
By Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WASHINGTON - Pennsylvania Reps. Phil English and Jason Altmire today said it was "outrageous" for the U.S. government to use steel tubes from China in the construction of an 854-mile fence on the border with Mexico.

Mr. English, R-Erie, who has several pipe and tube plants in his district, called a press conference to show reporters a blown-up picture of an early portion of the border fence, with a metal tube in the foreground clearly reading "Made in China." He said officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is constructing the fence, confirmed that it is buying steel tubes from China.

"I believe it is a travesty that taxpayer dollars have been used to buy Chinese pipes," he said. "Clearly American workers ought to be the ones building them."

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who championed the border fence legislation that President Bush signed a year ago, said DHS should have determined if American products were available before beginning construction.

Only about five miles of legally mandated double fence have been constructed. The photo, supplied to Mr. English by steelworker activists, was taken in San Luis, Ariz.

A site evaluation determined that about 60 of more than 700 posts were Chinese-made.

Lawmakers plan to hold a hearing on Oct. 31 and have invited Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to attend.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07291/826510-100.stm

[monktonman]

1. Its all part of the plan....

make american workers so poor that the Mexicans wont want our jobs.
Pretty brilliant huh?

[MADem]

2. Gee, WHY? It's an idiotic idea to build a fence, might as well use inferior materials!

Save a buck where one can...

That way, when the Mexicans dismantle the thing and use it for other purposes, as they will when we don't maintain it properly and it starts to fall down, at least they're not getting the top drawer super-expensive stuff....

Let's hope they SURVEY now, instead of building large stretches in Mexico! AGAIN!

[tomreedtoon]

3. There aren't any more American steel foundries, are there?

So where are we supposed to get the steel? Peru?

[TygrBright]

4. That 'BANG!' you just heard was yet another Irony Meter exploding. n/t

[marmar]

5. I object to the fence....

n/t