“Right now, there’s no national strategy for growing American manufacturing and reversing the offshoring that has been killing the middle class and hurting our national security,” Congressman Lipinski said. “The National Manufacturing Strategy Act will fill that void by requiring the development of a detailed plan for restoring American manufacturing as the world leader and establishing accountability for its implementation. Over the last decade, we lost one-third of our manufacturing jobs – 5.5 million jobs – including many in the Third District, where small and medium-sized manufacturers continue to employ thousands of my constituents. Another decade like the one our manufacturers just endured would be a disaster for the middle class, the economy, and our national security, which depends on our ability to independently equip our military. Americans understand that for the sake of the middle class and national security, we cannot allow this to continue. That is why 78% of Americans support the implementation of a manufacturing strategy.”

Congressman Lipinski has been a strong supporter of the “Make It In America” agenda and the various pieces of legislation it includes, which aim to support job creation by encouraging domestic manufacturing and innovation. He is a co-author of the America COMPETES Act, which passed Congress last year and boosts high-tech manufacturing through research and loan guarantees. He also helped pass the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act in the House to make it easier to crack down on China’s currency manipulation. And he helped lead passage of H.R. 6160 to reduce America’s dependence on China for rare earth materials, which are critical for a wide range of manufactured goods and defense products.

To ensure widespread buy-in from both business and government, the Congressman’s bill requires the president to establish a Manufacturing Strategy Board of federal officials, two state governors from different parties, and private-sector manufacturing leaders. Every four years, the board will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the manufacturing sector covering matters ranging from financing to trade to the defense industrial base. Based on this analysis and ample public input, the board will develop a strategy that includes specific recommendations to the President, Congress, and industry for bolstering American manufacturing. To make sure we stay the course, the board will assess the implementation of its recommendations annually, and the GAO will conduct a separate review.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that American manufacturers can compete with any in the world, and that we can continue to ‘Make It In America,’” Congressman Lipinski said. “But at a time when other countries are focused on tilting the playing field to benefit their own manufacturers, we need a strategy that guides our efforts and elevates manufacturing to the top of our nation’s agenda and keeps it there. H.R. 1366 will give us that strategy, and I’m going to continue to work to see it signed into law.”

(May 4, 2011)

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