On March 18th, a press conference held by United States House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (SC- 06) and Representative Haley Stevens (MI-11), who announced the launch of the House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group, which has been put in place to examine key issues for strengthening the American manufacturing sector.
The working group will aim to drive economic recovery and ensure that manufacturers, especially small and medium firms, can compete globally. Additionally, they aim to explore efforts to increase:
- Supply chain security
- Worker training
- Well-paying jobs
- Environmental sustainability
“History has shown us what is possible if we invest in industry and innovation,” said Majority Whip Clyburn. “American manufacturers built the ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ during World War II, birthed nuclear and renewable power, placed a man on the moon, and launched the information superhighway. Now is not
the time for our nation to fall behind in manufacturing the technologies of the future. As we work to recover from a devastating pandemic, we must rebuild a leading manufacturing economy. That is why I am pleased to co-chair the House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group with Congresswoman Stevens to prioritize our American manufacturing industry.”
“I am absolutely thrilled to launch the House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group with Whip Clyburn,” said Rep. Stevens. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers in Michigan’s 11th District and across the country stepped up to meet the industrial call to action, retooling their production lines to make medical supplies that our doctors, nurses, and other essential workers needed. Just as they did when they built the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II, Michigan’s best-in-class manufacturing workforce created the products our nation needed in a moment of crisis. Manufacturers and the hardworking Americans they employ are the backbone of our economy and when we invest in manufacturing, America succeeds.”
The House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group will collaborate with key stakeholders to restore and transform American manufacturing, protect supply chains, and ensure that domestic manufacturing can compete and lead in a 21st century economy.
The three major areas of focus will include:
- Workforce development, economic recovery, and access to capital
- Climate and sustainability
- Trade, access to markets, and the export-import bank
The full list of the House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group members include:
- Collin Allred (TX-32)
- Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) James Clyburn (SC-06), Co-Chair Lou Correa (CA-46)
- Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
- Bill Foster (IL-11)
- John Garamendi (CA-03)
- Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
- Brian Higgins (NY-26)
- Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
- Ro Khanna (CA-17)
- Dan Kildee (MI-05)
- Ron Kind (WI-03)
- Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) Ann Kuster (NH-02)
- John Larson (CT- 01)
- Susie Lee (NV-03)
- Joe Morelle (NY-25)
- Frank Mrvan (IN-01)
- Grace Napolitano (CA-32)
- Marie Newman (IL-03)
- Chris Pappas (NH-01)
- Scott Peters (CA-52)
- Tim Ryan (OH-13)
- Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)
- Terri Sewell (AL-07)
- Haley Stevens (MI-11), Co-Chair Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
- Lori Trahan (MA-03)
- Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
- Marc Veasey (TX-33)
- Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) Susan Wild (PA-07)
- John Yarmuth (KY-03)
In a statement, the announcement of the House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group made light that the foundation of the group was formed in the wake of a global pandemic, and the realization that the future of American manufacturing is more uncertain than ever. Changes in the workforce, new technologies and automation, and shifts in the global marketplace have created an inflection point for the U.S. manufacturing economy. The hope is to address:
- Vulnerabilities in the Supply Chain. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in critical supply chains, with interruptions in delivering PPE, pharmaceuticals, food, and other important supplies.
- Irregular Recovery. Though U.S. manufacturing has been recovering since the onset of the pandemic, the recovery has been slow and uneven. Recent data from the Federal Reserve showed that manufacturing output in December 2020 was still below pre- pandemic levels, 2.8% lower than December 2019, and end of year growth lagged other industries.
- Meeting Workforce Needs. Given the changing nature of work in manufacturing, employers, workers, and policymakers must constantly adapt to meet evolving workforce demands.
- Shifting Technology. Changes in manufacturing – from increased use of nanotechnology in textile fibers to new semiconductors – have fundamentally altered the sector, presenting new opportunities for U.S. firms.
Building The Future Of American Manufacturing
With the rollout of a vaccine, the U.S. has a unique opportunity to rebuild a leading manufacturing economy. The House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group will bring Members and manufacturing stakeholders together to examine key issues for strengthening the American manufacturing sector:
- Training & Education. Invest in apprenticeships, occupational skills training, and colleges and universities to prepare American workers with skills that meet the demands of a diverse, modern manufacturing economy.
- Sustainability. Promote environmental sustainability throughout the manufacturing sector by minimizing environmental impacts and conserving energy while enhancing competitiveness.
- Access to Markets. Break down barriers to global markets and encourage small and mid-sized manufacturers to build their export profile.
- Competition. Promote American manufacturers of all sizes to compete with manufacturers in countries that already have firm frameworks in place.
- Innovation. Invest in new and expanded programs to spur innovation, boost economic efficiency, and increase global competitiveness.
Said Representative Haley Stevens (MI-11):
… we’re launching here today the manufacturing task force that will compel a legislative agenda to fuel our nation’s innovation agenda to awaken what we can do for the workforce needs, the export leads, and the access to capital needs that we know we need a strong manufacturing base for. It was all the apparent before we came into this pandemic what manufacturing meant in our economy and meant to our national economy with over
12 million people employed in the manufacturing sector, and for every dollar going into the manufacturing sector $2.00 was produced. As a result of what we saw in this pandemic—which was supply changes disruptions, shutdowns of factories, long term furloughs and layoffs, and on. We are seeing a year out, some of the continued ramifications of this pandemic on our manufacturing sector particularly as it relates to supply chain disruptions and overall productivity. We’re almost 3% lower than we were a year ago and even though we are lower, and even though we have a semi-conductor chip shortage crisis taking place right now that is impacting our automotive sector, we continue to have individuals who work in manufacturing working to keep their heads down as they continue to focus on the timely delivery of the production needs and the value chain that that comes from our suppliers. And so as we are coming out of a very momentous legislative session, having passed the American rescue plan taking a look at and getting prepared for our infrastructure bill, this task force, and what we’re doing with our dozens of colleagues from Michigan and Ohio and down to South Carolina and over to the coast—what we are focused on is a part of the build back better agenda, a suite of legislative priorities that are going to focus on our small businesses and are going to connect them to the capital that they need to succeed and diversify and continue to meet the challenge.”
The agenda of the House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group will build on recent approval of the National Apprenticeship Act, which supports successful training programs that lead to good paying job opportunities for workers and helps build a skilled workforce.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that manufacturing is the 6th largest U.S. employer, providing workers with an average hourly wage of $27.70 and contributing $2.4 trillion to the economy.
