Exclusive: Clinton Talks About Revitalizing Local Coal, Steel Industries
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- After meeting Senator Tim Kaine and greeting presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, KDKA's Jon Delano went right to the point.
Delano: As you know, Donald Trump has made a big play for this region.
Clinton: Yes.
Delano: Many people think he will carry every county out here except Allegheny. Can you be very specific? What is it you're going to do for those coal miners, those steel workers, and others who have lost their jobs?
Clinton: First, I am really proud to have been endorsed by the steelworkers. We are going to have the biggest infrastructure program to create new jobs -- to build roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, water systems, that we've had since World War II.
Delano pressed Clinton, because Trump has promised to bring back coal and steel jobs.
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Delano: Can we bring back coal jobs as Donald Trump says? Can we bring back steel jobs?
Clinton: Well, we can certainly bring back steel jobs because once we really handle the unfair trade practices that have undercut our steel industry causing layoffs and plant closures, we're going to make it really clear to the rest of the world we're not sitting by and watching our steel industry go any further down.
Delano: But what about coal?
Clinton: Coal is a different issue because we've got to figure out -- is there a technology that can create clean energy from coal?
Clinton wants to invest in research to find clean ways to burn coal -- but suggests our mill towns need to look beyond coal.
"If we put our minds to it, we're going to revitalize coal country. Towns that have been knocked flat, we're going to help them get up. We can do that with infrastructure, with advanced manufacturing. We can do that with clean energy. So I'm excited because there are lots of examples of what's working. Pittsburgh -- look at the way Pittsburgh has reinvented itself. I remember what Pittsburgh looked like 30 years ago, Jon. I was here, and I'm thrilled," she said.