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Washington, DC -- Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved bipartisan legislation which Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, moved through the legislative process – from hearings to final passage.
At Congresswoman Bono Mack’s urging, H.R. 5865, the “American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act” was approved 339-77. Sponsored by Illinois Representatives Dan Lipinski and Adam Kinzinger, the legislation calls for two Presidential reports to Congress, outlining a strategy for promoting growth, sustainability and competitiveness in the beleaguered manufacturing sector.
According to economists, manufacturing has the highest job multiplier of any industry in the U.S. economy, producing $1.35 for every $1 in direct spending. Just as importantly, manufacturing is responsible for two-thirds of all private R&D spending in the United States, and it drives technology innovation. But on the flip side, for every manufacturing job lost in America, another 2.3 jobs are also lost in our economy.
“Throughout our nation’s long history, a growing and robust manufacturing sector has helped to make America great. It’s been a driving force in our economy since the Industrial Revolution,” Congresswoman Bono Mack said during floor debate. “But as our nation has moved from the Atomic Age to the Space Age to the Information Age, manufacturing has not kept up, losing nearly 6 million American jobs since the beginning of the 21st century. Aging, rusting and abandoned factories litter the U.S. landscape.
“If America is going to continue to lead the world in innovation, we must foster a more conducive environment for manufacturing. Most importantly, this is not a top-down ‘government-knows-best’ policy. It’s a public-private partnership that will develop a modern, comprehensive strategy to identify impediments to manufacturing and to provide much-needed recommendations on how to create an environment that will once again allow American manufacturing to thrive.”
Under this legislation, the first report will be delivered to Congress in April, 2014. The strategy will include both short-term and long-term goals for improving the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, as well as recommendations for legislative action.
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