Kamala Harris defends position of blocking Nippon’s purchase of U.S. Steel

Kamala Harris talks sale of U.S. Steel

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Amid warnings from U.S. Steel about significant consequences if its sale to Nippon Steel fails, Vice President Kamala Harris defended her position of blocking the sale to the Japanese company. 

In an interview with KDKA-TV on Tuesday, the vice president reiterated her stance that Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel should remain domestically owned.

“I feel very strongly that U.S. Steel needs to remain a U.S. company, and that the people working there need to be American workers,” Harris said on Tuesday. “I think that is also why I’m proud and I do have the support of the steelworkers union.”

U.S. Steel said last month that if the sale does not happen, it may have to move its headquarters from Pittsburgh and thousands of union jobs could be at risk. Without the sale going through, the company said it will “largely pivot away” from its blast furnace facilities. 

“If you block this foreign acquisition, how can you guarantee that there will be support?” KDKA-TV’s Jon Delano asked Harris on Tuesday. “Will it come from the federal government to make sure these furnaces stay open and the jobs are kept in Pittsburgh?” 

“It is my priority to keep the jobs in Pittsburgh, understanding again that the folks who are doing that work are doing hard work, good work. It is part of not only a tradition of American industry to do that work but it is part of what we need to invest in the future.”

Harris said it’s a matter of protecting American jobs and national security.

“I start my day being briefed on hotspots around the world and threats to our national security,” she said. “When I think about the importance of supporting U.S. workers and U.S. Steel, it’s through the lens of not only what we should do to protect that workforce but also what we should do to protect U.S. and American interests.”

U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt previously said that if the sale to Nippon Steel goes through, U.S. Steel would keep its name and remain headquartered in Pittsburgh. Last week, a board of arbitrators ruled the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon can move forward.

Jon Delano

Jon Delano is a familiar face on KDKA, having been the station’s political analyst since 1994. In September 2001, Jon joined KDKA full time as the Money & Politics Editor and this region’s only political analyst who covers national and local issues that affect hometown residents.