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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The day before the Cleveland-Cliffs tinplate facility in Weirton was idled, several members of the U.S. Senate sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging for him to fill vacancies in the U.S. International Trade Commission - the body whose decision led to the manufacturer’s decision to halt production at the local mill.
In a press release issued Friday, U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., along with Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Bob Casey, D-Pa., Tedd Budd, R-N.C., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Todd Young, R-Ind., sent the letter requesting nominations to fill two vacancies on the commission, as well as posts they say have either already expired or are set to expire this year.
"As an independent, nonpartisan agency, the ITC was designed to be governed by an equal number of Democratic and Republican commissioners. The current vacancies and expired terms jeopardize the ability of the ITC to do its job. As the U.S. faces unfair competition in crucial economic industries, it is vital that we have a fully-staffed ITC that puts workers first and truly protects American businesses," the senators wrote in part. "Personnel is policy, and we look forward to working with you to nominate and confirm qualified individuals to the ITC as quickly as possible."
The ITC currently has just four commissioners, with a total of six seats available. According to the commission’s website, its members are: Chairman David S. Johanson, a Republican from Texas nominated by former President Barack Obama; Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, a Democrat from Missouri nominated by Obama; Jason E. Kearns, a Democrat from Colorado originally nominated by Obama at the end of his term; and Amy A. Karpel, a Democrat of Washington nominated by former President Donald Trump.
In February, the ITC, in a 4-0 vote, overturned the proposed placement of tariffs recommended by the U.S. Department of Commerce on tin imports from Canada, China and Germany, with an investigation concerning imports from South Korea terminated by the ITC.
Approximately a week after the ruling, Cleveland-Cliffs announced it would be idling indefinitely the tinplate operation in Weirton, affecting the jobs of more than 900 local workers.
Operating as an independent, bipartisan and quasi-judicial entity, the commission is tasked with investigating the impact of imports on U.S. industries, directing actions against unfair trade practices.
It was established by Congress in 1916 as the U.S. Tariff Commission, with the name changed in 1974.