Hawley calls on Biden to keep Missouri aluminum plant open

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) called on President Biden to keep operations at an aluminum plant in Missouri open after it was reported that operations would be curtailed by January 28.

Hawley issued a statement Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter. report Magnitude 7 Metals, the second largest aluminum smelter in the United States, plans to lay off most of its employees.

Holly: “This cannot be allowed.” I have written on Thursday. “This plant accounts for almost 30% of the nation's aluminum. It is critical to national security. President Biden must invoke the Defense Production Act and keep it open.”

Hawley referenced the Defense Production Act, which was recently enacted by both Biden and former President Trump during the coronavirus pandemic. This gives the president emergency powers to control domestic industry. This law was modeled after his War Powers Act, passed in 1950 and which gave President Franklin D. Roosevelt control of the domestic economy during World War II.

In a letter from factory management, workers were informed that the smelter would not need “very many employees.”

Heartland News quoted a factory statement as saying, “Due to the unusually cold weather, our operations have been severely impacted to the point that we are unable to resume operations.”

The letter also indicated that the factory will continue to seek investors in hopes of restarting operations.

The 263,000 t/year smelter resumed operations in mid-2018 after being acquired from bankruptcy by Matt Lucke of ARG International AG. At this factory he employs 450 union members.

“A billionaire wants to put 500 Missourians out of work and take away their profits,” Hawley said. “That can't happen. This factory and these workers are too important to the nation to close down.”

There are currently five aluminum plants in operation in the United States, including Magnitude 7.

The Hill has reached out to Lucke for comment.