WKBN – Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown spoke to a packed room at the Maronite Center in Youngstown Sunday night as part of the Democratic Party’s Hall of Fame and Tribute Dinner.

The senator told his supporters that in the last decade, America’s trade deficit with China increased by 800%.

He says now that the auto industry is profitable again, and business is booming for local manufacturers like V & M Star, we as a nation can’t afford to lose business to other countries.

“It’s important that we continue our focus on making sure that trade law is enforced so that the Chinese play by the rules,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) of Ohio. “It’s clear that they aren’t playing by the rules when it comes to auto parts.”

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“In many ways the Mahoning Valley is the center of this, fighting back on the economy, we know what would have happened to the auto industry if we had followed the advice of some and said let it just go into bankruptcy and hope it comes back.”

As far as the changes happening at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, brown says while he knows military cuts are inevitable, he wants to use his membership on the Senate Appropriations Committee to the state’s advantage.

“When I look at the skill levels of our airmen and women in Youngstown, and the mechanics and all the support staff, I know that they will continue to serve the national interests and that’s so important that they stay here and that the air base remains as vibrant as it is today.”

Senator Brown will return to Washington D.C. on Monday night, where he says his first agenda item will be to expedite legislation on tariffs so products from countries like China can’t be sold under cost.

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