WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, bipartisan legislation introduced by Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL) to require the development of a national strategy to revitalize American manufacturing and create good jobs passed the full House Energy & Commerce Committee.
The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2012, H.R. 5865, establishes a public-private American Manufacturing Competitiveness Board. The board will be made up of manufacturing experts and will provide recommendations to the president and Congress on manufacturing issues. They will also develop a national manufacturing competitiveness strategy with specific goals including: eliminating red tape, streamlining government processes, and ultimately making the United States more competitive.
“In Illinois alone, 574,883 people are employed by the manufacturing sector,” said Congressman Kinzinger. “This is an industry that folks in my district rely on and is one of the most vital components of our economic and national security. At a time when we are on the brink of a new manufacturing renaissance in this country, the only barriers that pose a threat to this recovery would be government created. In an effort to eliminate these potential barriers, Washington must reduce the partisan gridlock and put forward a long-term strategy, constructed by manufacturing experts, to focus our attention on the challenges inhibiting our global competitiveness. I look forward to continue working with Congressman Lipinski to bring this bipartisan legislation to the House floor.”
“Not much is getting done in Congress right now, and almost nothing is getting accomplished to help the middle class,” said Congressman Lipinski. “That is why I am especially proud to have moved this bipartisan bill forward in order to commit our nation to boosting manufacturing and growing jobs. American companies and workers face foreign competitors who benefit from coordinated, strategic policymaking by their home governments. We need to recognize this reality and bring the public and private sectors together to develop a bipartisan national strategy to revitalize American manufacturing. I fully expect that the House will pass this bill soon, and that when the strategy is issued it will have the support and momentum needed to give American manufacturing a decisive boost. I thank Rep. Kinzinger for his help in shaping this legislation and moving it forward as a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee.”
H.R. 5865 is designed to bring the public and private sectors and both parties together to forge an actionable plan to promote the success of American manufacturing. This legislation creates a bipartisan Manufacturing Competitiveness Board consisting of 15 members, five from the public sector appointed by the President – including two governors from different parties – and 10 from the private sector appointed by the House and Senate, with the majority appointing three and the minority two in each chamber.
The Board will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. manufacturing sector, covering everything from trade issues to taxation, regulation, and new technologies. Based on this analysis, it will develop a strategy that includes specific goals and specific recommendations for achieving those goals. The first strategy is due in 2014 and the second in 2018.
Learn more about the bill at http://kinzinger.house.gov/manufacturing/.
