Ansonia Specialty Metals’ VP John Barto to Accompany DeLauro to Tonight’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) announced today that John Barto, Vice President and General Manager of the now-closed Ansonia Specialty Metals, is her guest to this evening’s State of the Union address. Ansonia Specialty Metals was forced to close after trade deals increased competition from Mexico, Germany and Korea. Ansonia Specialty Metals was subsequently undercut by businesses from those countries, resulting in the demise of a Connecticut company that dated back to 1847.

“The story of Ansonia Specialty Metals is unfortunately one that is all too common across our country,” DeLauro said. “I visited Ansonia Specialty Metals—back when it was Ansonia Copper and Brass—and was very impressed with the facilities and the dedicated workforce. At one time that workforce numbered around 350 in the Ansonia and Waterbury communities. To restore long-term prosperity in America, we have to go back to being a country that builds things, not just one that consumes goods made overseas. John’s story is powerful and I am honored to have him here tonight to help communicate the reality of our trade agreements to my colleagues.”

“A generation ago people who did not attend college could go into a good-paying job at a company like Ansonia Specialty Metals,” Barto said. “That is a reason why America thrived for so many years, through the industrial era, and built a strong middle class. Unfortunately our trade deals have helped lead to the elimination of many of those jobs, as we saw in Ansonia and Waterbury. Further, when we Ansonia Specialty Metals shut our doors, the U.S. government started buying products from companies in Mexico, Germany and Korea. So now taxpayer dollars are going to support workers overseas when Connecticut families are struggling. Granting Fast Track Authority would allow another trade agreement to be rammed through with no input on behalf of American workers.”


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