October 14, 2011

The “Make It In America” Agenda Should Be Our Top Priority

Rep. Norm Dicks has joined an effort in the House of Representatives to encourage the retention of U.S. manufacturing jobs at a time when many areas of the country are experiencing plant closings and the transfer of American jobs overseas.

Having fought hard to keep the Air Force refueling tanker contract from going to a French company, the congressman said he “believe(s) that the entire U.S. government should re-orient itself to assure that every effort is made to support and encourage American manufacturing, especially in areas like aircraft production, where U.S. technology sets the world standard.”

He said “the tanker program makes an enormous contribution to our economy, creating thousands of jobs in Washington and across the United States. In Washington alone there are 70 suppliers and 11,000 jobs with a total economic impact of nearly $700 million. Because we have made the decision to “Make It In America,” the Boeing KC-46 program will ultimately sustain 50,000 American jobs in more than 40 states.”

The "Make It In America" initiative was launched in the House by the Democratic Whip, Rep. Steny Hoyer, and would create conditions encouraging American businesses to produce goods here at home.  Six bills that are part of the “Make It In America” agenda have already been signed into law. Other legislation focuses on infrastructure investments, incentives to encourage R&D, tax reforms to encourage manufacturers to re-invest in our country and a major infusion into education and training programs to assure that American workers are ready and available to fill any jobs that may be available. 

“Especially at this time of high unemployment it is more important than ever to strengthen the manufacturing sector as a way to create good, family-wage jobs,” Rep. Dicks said. In addition, he noted, reducing unemployment addresses our need to lower the federal deficit. “The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that one-third of the deficit can be reduced by putting people back to work.”

Congressman Hoyer, who has spearheaded the development of the “Make It In America” legislative agenda in the House, describes the effort in a video message prepared by the House Democratic Caucus.  Click here to watch the program.

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