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Dianna Smoljan, 708-945-7405 

President Must Abandon His “Go It Alone” Policy Says Metals Service Center Institute 

Rolling Meadows, Ill., Jan. 20, 2015 – Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) President and CEO M. Robert Weidner, III said Tuesday he was disappointed with President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address and suggested the president should abandon his go-it-alone policy strategy and work with Congress to strengthen our nation’s free enterprise system, not weaken it. 

“Compromise is key. The best way to arrive at solutions is through a legislative process that allows Americans’ voices to be heard through their representatives in Congress, not through continued circumvention of those duly elected representatives,” said Weidner. 

Last year President Obama used executive orders and the regulatory process to bypass Congress and advance policies that would increase energy costs on American consumers, undo decades of labor law precedent and place significant burdens on American businesses. MSCI opposed this unilateral process and believes those policies will have a negative impact on the metals and manufacturing industries. MSCI also opposes the tax increases President Obama introduced Tuesday and asks Congress to focus on comprehensive, revenue-neutral tax reform instead. 

“The 2014 election demonstrated that elections have consequences. The country voted to ensure that both chambers of Congress would work together to pass pro-business legislation for the president’s signature. Furthermore, the pugilistic tone emanating from the extremes of either party is counterproductive to passing meaningful legislation that benefits all Americans,” said Weidner. “We need decisive bipartisan cooperation and discourse; this can’t be achieved when President Obama works around Congress and not in cooperation with it.” 

MSCI will support policies that will strengthen our free enterprise system, create jobs and raise wages. These include: comprehensive tax reform that makes the tax code simpler and fairer for corporations, small businesses and families; an immigration reform bill that secures the border and builds a skilled workforce that can compete in a 21st century economy; and a national energy policy that produces a steady, reliable and affordable supply of energy. MSCI will also fight to reform the regulatory process and include provisions in all trade-related legislation that address currency manipulation. For more information on MSCI’s policy agenda, visit MSCI's website. 

About MSCI 

Founded in 1909, the Metals Service Center Institute is a nonprofit trade association that represents more than 400 firms in the metals industry. The American metals industry accounts for nearly 2.5 million jobs and more than $552 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product. For more information, visit www.MSCI.org.