Representative Ro Khanna, currently serving California’s 17th district in the U.S. Congress since 2017, reported on a series of recent layoffs across multiple American manufacturing sectors via social media posts. The tweets detail closures and workforce reductions at facilities in Minnesota, Virginia, and Illinois.
On July 12, 2025, Khanna posted that “Food manufacturer Apple Valley Foods let go 95 employees, closing its facility in Chaska, Minnesota.”
In another tweet on the same day, he stated that “554 plywood manufacturers were left without a job following the closure of Georgia-Pacific LLC’s Emporia, Virginia mill. The company cited a 30-year low in existing home sales as the reason for closure.”
Khanna also reported that “Railcar component producer Amsted Rail Company let go of 74 employees at its Granite City, Illinois factory in a permanent layoff.” This information was posted on July 12, 2025.
Ro Khanna was born in Philadelphia in 1976 and currently resides in Fremont. He holds a BA from the University of Chicago (1998) and a JD from Yale University (2001). He succeeded Mike Honda as representative for California’s 17th district.
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