[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 171 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMPETITIVENESS AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HANSEN CLARKE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 31, 2012

  Mr. CLARKE of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, after decades of decline, 
American manufacturing is now on the rebound. The United States created 
nearly half a million manufacturing jobs between 2010 and 2012. This 
recovery is critical for cities like my hometown of Detroit and for 
America's economy as a whole, but sustaining it will require 
coordinated comprehensive action.
  Thankfully, the nation can count on inspired and visionary leadership 
from both the public and private sectors to sustain the development of 
advanced manufacturing industries that create high-quality exports and 
well-paying jobs.
  I commend President Obama's commitment to creating a million new 
manufacturing jobs by 2016 through new investments in technological 
research and development as well as sensible policies like the 
elimination of tax deductions for companies that outsource 
manufacturing overseas. I also commend important private sector voices 
who are leading the way to America's manufacturing renaissance.
  Andrew Liveris, the head of Dow Chemical and author of Make It in 
America: The Case for Re-Inventing the Economy has argued persuasively 
for a new national economic strategy that rests on a range of 
innovative ideas. In particular, he calls for a more coherent and 
comprehensive approach to national energy policy and greater reliance 
on alternative energy sources. This is essential because the cost and 
volatility of traditional energy sources like imported oil are a major 
drag on the nation's industrial productivity. Mr. Liveris additionally 
calls for new investments in workers' skills in order to boost the 
nation's productivity and guarantee world-class living standards. An 
intellectual leader and prominent figure in American business, Mr. 
Liveris and his proposals should command respect and attention across 
the political spectrum.
  The Council on Competitiveness--a non-profit non-partisan coalition 
composed of CEOs, labor leaders, and university presidents--has 
likewise developed a vital and comprehensive proposal to spur American 
economic renewal. Their new report, ``A Clarion Call for 
Competitiveness,'' is a roadmap for Congress and the Administration to 
boost manufacturing and create well-paying jobs in the decades ahead. 
Among other recommendations, the Council urges federal leaders to 
double investments in technological research, increase efforts to 
commercialize America's scientific discoveries, strengthen 
apprenticeship programs for advanced manufacturing, speed-up the 
development of manufacturing ``clusters'' built around leading research 
centers around the nation, and ensure the quality of America's roads, 
bridges, and digital connections by authorizing the Export-Import Bank 
to fund domestic infrastructure projects.
  These ideas--which come from both Democrats and Republicans and both 
private and public sectors--are unique in today's civic debate for a 
simple reason: they offer hope. I call on Congress to implement these 
innovative proposals in the 113th Congress for the sake of our workers, 
our businesses, and our nation's long-term economic future.

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