A steel plant manager and an economist walk into a factory. They leave with a story about the U.S. economy.

There’s an air of optimism at the Irvin Plant southeast of Pittsburgh. The $14 billion investment from Nippon Steel, with a promise to “protect and create more than 100,000 jobs,” could bring the turnaround they’ve been waiting for.

“The people part of it is really exciting,” said Robert Kopf, the vice president of sales at U.S. Steel, about the new investments in American jobs.

Hammack said the manufacturing sector looked to be “reasonably stable” based on her visit to the Irvin Plant.

“These jobs sound like they’re very good jobs,” she said.

Over the next three years, U.S. Steel wants to use that money to upgrade their Mon Valley plants, and build a brand new hot strip mill. Lower interest rates would lower the costs of making those massive investments.

But Hammack says she wants to hold pat on interest rates, unless the unemployment rate ticks up, or job creation slows down too much.

Another benefit of cutting rates would be stimulating the purchase of steel-heavy purchases like appliances and cars, Kopf said. Steel purchases for home building would get a bump too.

“All the construction steel we make here, we would love to see the residential construction market finally pick up,” Kopf said. “I know higher interest rates have been a little bit of a barrier to that. So we would welcome lower interest rates.”

When Nippon Steel Corporation agreed to buy U.S. Steel in 2023, President Joe Biden opposed the deal, as did Trump when he was on the campaign trail.

But after taking office for a second term, Trump approved the deal on the company’s promise to invest in U.S. Steel, “protect and create” those 100,000 jobs, and give the U.S. government a “golden share” that allows the president to stop the idling of any U.S. Steel facilities.

“We are once again going to put Pennsylvania into the backbone of America,” Trump said during a visit to the Irvin Plant in May.