This is The Chairman's Countdown with your host, Zach Model, Chairman of the Coalition for a Prosperous America. Countdown with us as we explore trade, tariffs, and industrial strategy with the leaders driving America's prosperity and security.
We've got Congressman Daniel Webster. And, uh, Congressman Webster joins us from Florida's 11th Congressional District. Uh, His district is home to a strong manufacturing community, and it spans right across Central Florida. Representative Webster has been a respected voice for Florida manufacturers, US workers, and he's a champion for economic resiliency. He serves on some key committees that advance infrastructure, manufacturing, and economic development priorities like those impact his district but also the nation. And here at the Coalition for a Prosperous America, we're so proud to partner with Congressman Webster and leaders like him to showcase how America can rebuild its industrial strength and make good jobs for everyday average Americans.
We want their wages rising faster than costs, and making things is the best way to do that. Congressman, thank you for being here. You know, there's a major manufacturer in your district, and I would be remiss if I didn't start with them. Uh, Nucor Steel, one of America's biggest steel mills, they've got a major presence in your district. Uh, they're driving investment in, and, and steel making and jobs in Florida. What do you see going on at that factory?
Well, I think the, the key is we're trying to maintain steel production in, in the United States. Uh, for too long, we, uh, kind of, uh, packaged up our, our jobs and sent them elsewhere, thinking we were doing everybody a, a favor. We were doing no one a favor. We were losing our jobs, losing our economy, losing the base that we had. And so, taking American jobs and shipping them overseas seemed to be a great thing at the time, but it was not. And so, we're trying to gain them back, keep them back, and then have a, have a, have a place for them to work.
Well, you're, you're reading my talking points, it feels like, Congressman, because that's exactly how I feel. They're great jobs for good Americans. And, you know, the data shows that. Chuck, what, you know, we've done some research on steel and, and the kind of high-wage jobs and investment that, that this kind of investment creates. What does the research show about these jobs and why are they so important like the Congressman is saying?
Yeah, that's right. I mean, they, they drive wages, uh, and they drive the cost, especially in steel, they drive the cost for everything else down, right? You know, people think, uh, if we on-shore, things are going to get more expensive, but that's just not the case. In fact, what we do is, well, by building up our domestic capacity, especially in things like steel and aluminum, uh, we're driving down the costs for all manufacturing because we get more capacity here, things being done at a higher volume more efficiently, and, uh, so, while we si- simultaneously strengthen our national security, we're also making manufacturing cheaper here.
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