Steel, Manufacturing Groups Denounce Political Violence

“The outgoing president incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy,” Timmons said in a statement.

“This is not the vision of America that manufacturers believe in and work so hard to defend. Across America today, millions of manufacturing workers are helping our nation fight the deadly pandemic that has already taken hundreds of thousands of lives,” Timmons continued.

U.S. workers are also laboring to revive an economy hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. But those efforts could be futile if U.S. democracy is not protected, he said.

“Vice President Pence, who was evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy,” Timmons said.

The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows the vice president to temporarily assume the responsibilities of the president should the president become ill, disabled or otherwise unable to carry out the job.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) did not go so far as to call for invoking the 25th Amendment. But it condemned the incitement of violence.

“Violence and disorder have no place in the transition to a new adminstration. And so we are obviously very troubled, like everyone else,” AISI President and CEO Kevin Dempsey said in an interview with Steel Market Update. “The focus now should be on the peaceful, orderly transition to the new administration that will be in place in less than two weeks.”

Biden won the U.S. presidential election in November. Congress certified his victory after temporarily vacating the Capitol because of the danger posed by the violent, pro-Trump mob. He will be inaugurated as the next president on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Trump, unless removed from office, has less than two weeks left as the nation’s chief executive.

By Michael Cowden, michael@steelmarketupdate.com