by Dennis J. Kucinich
Washington, Jul 18, 2012
Image by codepinkphoenix via Flickr
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today defended American businesses in their efforts to compete with foreign competitors to produce green technologies such as solar panels and called for Congressional action on trade manipulation. That manipulation has allowed China to flood the domestic U.S. market with below-cost solar panels. After China dumped subsidized solar panels into the market, the price of solar panels fell below the manufacturing cost of American solar panels. That price drop put many businesses in financial distress, including some companies that had been supported with loans from the Department of Energy.
“The real scandal that we need to address is the systematic, illegal dumping of subsidized Chinese solar panels in the United States. We are attacking our own businesses and meanwhile the Chinese are eating our lunch,” said Kucinich.
Kucinich was speaking to the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs during a hearing called “The Administration’s Bet on Abound Solar: Assessing the Costs to the American Taxpayers.”
“China is using illegal trade practices to cripple American businesses. Instead of investigating potential solutions to the problem, we are attacking the companies that have been undermined by this. This doesn’t make any sense. If we direct our attention at attacking each other and wipe out opportunities for American businesses in this sector then China seizes the market,” said Kucinich.
“We can lower the cost of renewable energy around the world without punishing American workers and businesses. We should be promoting more, not less, green technology to promote our economic and environmental future,” Kucinich added.
Kucinich has long been a strong proponent of fair trade agreements and has advocated for the proper enforcement of trade laws to protect American workers. Kucinich has previously testified in front of the International Trade Commission on the importance of protecting our domestic manufacturing base and enforcing our trade laws. See Kucinich’s testimony before the ITC here.
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Thank You Dennis Kucinich, the voice of reason in an otherwise illogical, inane, and self-destructive “Empire of the Irrational” aka America. Boycotting goods from China is no easy task anymore, but i have succeeded. Warning: foodstuffs especially, from China are tainted and potentially deadly. Recently, blackberries imported from China proved deadly in the Middle East, as they were tainted with a chemical to prevent them from spoiling. It is time to pick berries and not buy them anyway. Back to nature, what is left of it.