Ruppersberger Names Baltimore Union Leader as "Virtual Guest' to Tonight's State of the Union

Statement

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger is recognizing long-term Baltimore union leader Jim Strong as his "Hometown Hero" virtual guest to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address to Congress tonight. Strong is special assistant to the President of Offshore Wind Development for the United Steelworkers, which will benefit from hundreds of new, clean energy manufacturing jobs in Maryland's Second District.

The State of the Union will highlight the achievements and work still to be done under the leadership of President Biden and his Administration. While pandemic precautions have limited in-person attendance, many Members of Congress have opted to invite "virtual guests" reflecting the impact of the President's policies at home in the district.

"Our country has made tremendous strides this past year thanks to COVID-19 relief measures, bipartisan investments in infrastructure and a renewed emphasis on clean energy and manufacturing here in America," Congressman Ruppersberger said. "But it's people like Jim Strong and our hard-working union members who are the real heroes behind our country's economic recovery. Job-creating projects like Tradepoint Atlantic and US Wind at Sparrows Point are a reminder that our best days are ahead." Dutch and Jim Strong

US Wind, a Baltimore-based wind farm developer, announced plans in August to open a manufacturing facility building wind turbine components at Tradepoint Atlantic, a massive logistics center in Baltimore County's Sparrows Point, creating 500 jobs. About 12,000 people already work at the Tradepoint Atlantic site each day.

"This project not only represents the return of steelmaking at Sparrows Point, but the leadership role Maryland has to play in the broader supply chain of offshore wind and the thousands of family-sustaining union jobs that will provide," said Jim Strong. "It is an honor to attend tonight's State of the Union as Congressman Ruppersberger's virtual guest, to celebrate the momentum we have seen over the last year and to look forward to more union job-generating projects in the next."

Under President Biden and the current Congress, the U.S. has added 375,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs to the economy. Their policies are addressing the root cause of inflation by investing in energy independence, which would shield families from energy price volatility and mitigate energy-induced inflation.

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November, will protect and improve supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign oil. Investments from the America COMPETES Act, passed by the House last month, would help bring more high-quality manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and reduce reliance on global supply chains.

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