[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7168-H7172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AMERICAN MANUFACTURING LEADERSHIP ACT

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2397) to amend the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology Act to make changes to the implementation of the network 
for manufacturing innovation, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2397

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``American Manufacturing 
     Leadership Act''.

     SEC. 2. CHANGES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF MANUFACTURING USA.

       Section 34 of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278s) is amended--
       (1) in the section heading by striking ``network for 
     manufacturing innovation'' and inserting ``manufacturing usa 
     network'';
       (2) by striking ``centers for manufacturing innovation'' 
     each place it appears in subsections (a)(3)(B), (b)(1), (d), 
     (g), and (i) and inserting ``Manufacturing USA institutes'';
       (3) by striking ``center for manufacturing innovation'' 
     each place it appears in subsections (d)(1), (d)(4)(E), (g), 
     and (h)(1) and inserting ``Manufacturing USA institute'';
       (4) by striking ``center'' each place it appears in 
     subsection (d)(2), (d)(4)(E), and (d)(5) and inserting 
     ``Manufacturing USA institute'';
       (5) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Network for 
     Manufacturing Innovation Program'' and inserting 
     ``Manufacturing USA Program'';
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking `` `Network for 
     Manufacturing Innovation Program' '' and inserting `` 
     `Manufacturing USA Program' '';
       (C) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in subparagraph (G), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (ii) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(I) to contribute to the development of regional 
     manufacturing innovation clusters across the Nation.''; and
       (D) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``Network for 
     Manufacturing Innovation'' and inserting ``Manufacturing USA 
     Network'';
       (6) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Network for 
     Manufacturing Innovation'' and inserting ``Manufacturing USA 
     Network''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking `` `Network for 
     Manufacturing Innovation' '' and inserting `` `Manufacturing 
     USA Network' '';
       (7) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Centers for 
     Manufacturing Innovation'' and inserting ``Manufacturing USA 
     Institutes'';
       (B) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     `` `center for manufacturing innovation' is a center'' and 
     inserting `` `Manufacturing USA institute' is an institute'';
       (ii) by striking ``Secretary'' each place it appears in 
     subparagraph (C) and (D) and inserting ``agency head'';
       (C) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``center for manufacturing innovation'' and inserting 
     ``Manufacturing USA institute'';

[[Page H7169]]

       (ii) by striking subparagraph (E);
       (iii) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) 
     as clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), respectively, and 
     moving the margins of such clauses (as so redesignated) two 
     ems to the right;
       (iv) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so 
     redesignated), by striking ``Activities of a Manufacturing 
     USA institute may include'' and inserting the following:
       ``(A) Required activities.--Activities of a Manufacturing 
     USA institute shall include'';
       (v) in clause (i), as so redesignated, by striking ``cost, 
     time, and risk'' and inserting ``cost, time, or risk'';
       (vi) in clause (ii), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     before the period at the end the following: ``addressing 
     workforce needs through training and education programs at 
     all appropriate education levels, including programs on 
     applied engineering'';
       (vii) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     before the period at the end the following: ``, as 
     appropriate'';
       (viii) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``women and minority owned'' and inserting ``women, minority, 
     and veteran owned''
       (ix) by inserting after clause (iv) (as so redesignated) 
     the following:
       ``(v) Development of roadmaps or leveraging of existing 
     roadmaps with respect to technology areas being pursued by 
     that Manufacturing USA institute that take into account the 
     research and development undertaken at other Manufacturing 
     USA institutes and Federal agencies with respect to such 
     areas.''; and
       (x) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Permissible activities.--Activities of a 
     Manufacturing USA institute may include such other activities 
     as the agency head, in consultation with Federal departments 
     and agencies whose missions contribute to, or are affected 
     by, advanced manufacturing, considers consistent with the 
     purposes described in subsection (a)(2).''; and
       (D) in paragraph (3)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``centers for 
     manufacturing innovation'' and inserting ``Manufacturing USA 
     institutes'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``center for 
     manufacturing innovation'' and inserting ``Manufacturing USA 
     institute''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) Application.--Effective beginning on the date of the 
     enactment of the American Manufacturing Leadership Act, an 
     institute shall be subject to subsections (a)(2), (c), and 
     (d) in the same manner and to the same extent as such 
     provisions apply to a Manufacturing USA institute established 
     pursuant to this section if such institute--
       ``(i)(I) is, as of such date of enactment, considered a 
     Manufacturing USA institute under subparagraph (A) or 
     recognized as a Manufacturing USA institute under 
     subparagraph (B); and
       ``(II) as of such date of enactment, receives Federal 
     financial assistance under subsection (d) or otherwise 
     consistent with the purposes of this section; or
       ``(ii) is under pending agency review for such recognition 
     as of such date of enactment.'';
       (8) in subsection (d)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``Secretary'' and inserting ``agency 
     head''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``for a period of not less than 5 and not 
     more than 7 years'' after ``financial assistance'';
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Secretary'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``agency head'';
       (C) by striking paragraph (3);
       (D) in paragraph (4)--
       (i) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
       ``(A) Competitive, merit review.--In awarding financial 
     assistance under paragraph (1), the agency head shall--
       ``(i) use a competitive, merit review process that includes 
     peer review by a diverse group of individuals with relevant 
     expertise from both the private and public sectors; and
       ``(ii) ensure that the technology focus of a Manufacturing 
     USA institute does not substantially duplicate the technology 
     focus of any other Manufacturing USA institute.'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking ``Secretary'' and 
     inserting ``agency head'';
       (iii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as follows:
       ``(C) Performance measurement, transparency, and 
     accountability.--For each award of financial assistance under 
     paragraph (1), the agency head shall develop and implement 
     metrics-based performance standards to assess the 
     effectiveness of activities funded in making progress toward 
     the purposes of the Program, including the effectiveness of 
     Manufacturing USA institutes in advancing technology 
     readiness levels or manufacturing readiness levels.'';
       (iv) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``the Secretary 
     shall'' and all that follows through ``collaborate'' and 
     inserting the following: ``the agency head, in coordination 
     with the National Program Office, as appropriate, shall 
     collaborate''; and
       (v) in subparagraph (E)--

       (I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
     ``Secretary'' and inserting ``agency head''; and
       (II) in clause (x), by striking ``center for 
     manufacturing'' and inserting ``Manufacturing USA 
     institute''; and

       (E) in paragraph (5)--
       (i) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
       ``(A) Term of award.--
       ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), an award made to 
     a Manufacturing USA institute may be renewed for an 
     additional period not to exceed the duration of the original 
     funding award, subject to a rigorous merit review. In 
     awarding additional funds, the agency head shall consider the 
     extent to which the institute has made progress in achieving 
     the purposes described in subsection (a) and carrying out the 
     activities specified in subsection (c)(2).
       ``(ii) Existing institutes.--Notwithstanding clause (i), an 
     institute already in existence or undergoing a renewal 
     process on the date of enactment of the American 
     Manufacturing Leadership Act--

       ``(I) may continue to receive support for the duration of 
     the original funding award beginning on the date of 
     establishment of that institute; and
       ``(II) shall be eligible for renewal of that funding 
     pursuant to clause (i).'';

       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``Secretary'' each 
     place it appears and inserting ``agency head''; and
       (iii) by striking subparagraph (C);
       (9) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:
       ``(e) Grant Program for Public Service Activities for 
     Manufacturing USA Institutes Without Federal Funding.--The 
     Secretary may award grants on a competitive basis to 
     Manufacturing USA institutes that are no longer recognized as 
     such under subsection (c)(3)(C) to carry out workforce 
     development, outreach to small- and medium-sized 
     manufacturers, and other activities that--
       ``(1) are determined by the Secretary to be in the national 
     interest; and
       ``(2) are unlikely to receive private sector financial 
     support.'';
       (10) in subsection (f)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Network for 
     Manufacturing Innovation Program'' and inserting 
     ``Manufacturing USA Program'';
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(G) to work with non-sponsoring Federal agencies to 
     explore and develop options for sponsoring Manufacturing USA 
     institutes at such agencies;
       ``(H) to work with sponsoring Federal agencies to develop 
     and implement network-wide performance goals with measurable 
     targets and timelines;
       ``(I) to help develop pilot programs that may be 
     implemented by the Manufacturing USA institutes to address 
     specific purposes of the Program, including to accelerate 
     technology transfer to the private sector; and
       ``(J) to identify and disseminate best practices for 
     workforce education and training across Manufacturing USA 
     institutes and further enhance collaboration among 
     Manufacturing USA institutes in developing and implementing 
     such practices.''; and
       (C) by amending paragraph (5) to read as follows:
       ``(5) Hollings manufacturing extension partnership.--The 
     Secretary shall ensure that the National Program Office 
     incorporates the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
     into Program planning to ensure--
       ``(A) significant outreach to, participation of, and 
     engagement of small- and medium-sized manufacturers in 
     Manufacturing USA institutes across the entirety of the 
     manufacturing supply chain; and
       ``(B) that the results of the Program, including 
     technologies developed by the Program, reach small- and 
     medium-sized manufacturers and that such entities have access 
     to technical assistance, as appropriate, in deploying those 
     technologies.'';
       (11) in subsection (g)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)(A)--
       (i) by striking ``The Secretary'' and all that follows 
     through ``report to the Secretary'' and inserting the 
     following: ``Each agency head shall require each recipient of 
     financial assistance from that agency under subsection (d)(1) 
     and any other institutes considered to be Manufacturing USA 
     institutes pursuant to subsection (c)(3) to annually submit 
     to the appropriate agency head a report''; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following: ``Each agency head 
     shall submit such reports to the Secretary.''; and
       (B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
       ``(3) Assessments by gao.--
       ``(A) Assessments.--Not less frequently than once every 3 
     years, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress an 
     assessment of the operation of the Program during the most 
     recent 3-year period, including an assessment of the progress 
     made towards achieving the goals specified in the national 
     strategic plan for advanced manufacturing required under 
     section 102(b)(7) of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act 
     of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6622(b)(7)).
       ``(B) Elements.--Each assessment submitted under 
     subparagraph (A) shall include, for the period covered by the 
     report--
       ``(i) a review of the management, coordination, and 
     industry utility of the Program;
       ``(ii) an assessment of the extent to which the Program has 
     furthered the purposes described in subsection (a)(2);

[[Page H7170]]

       ``(iii) such recommendations for legislative and 
     administrative action as the Comptroller General considers 
     appropriate to improve the Program; and
       ``(iv) an assessment as to whether any prior 
     recommendations for improvement made by the Comptroller 
     General have been implemented or adopted.'';
       (12) in subsection (h)--
       (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``subsection (e)'' and 
     inserting ``subsection (k)''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) Collaborations with other federal agencies.--The 
     Secretary shall collaborate with Federal agencies whose 
     missions contribute to, or are affected by, advanced 
     manufacturing to identify and leverage existing resources at 
     such Federal agencies to assist Manufacturing USA institutes 
     in carrying out the purposes of the program specified in 
     subsection (a)(2). Such existing resources may include 
     programs--
       ``(A) at the Department of Labor relating to labor and 
     apprenticeships;
       ``(B) at the Economic Development Administration relating 
     to regional innovation, such as the Regional Innovation 
     Strategies program;
       ``(C) at the Department of Education relating to workforce 
     development, education, training, and retraining;
       ``(D) at the Department of Defense relating to procurement 
     and other authorities of the Department of Defense;
       ``(E) at the Food and Drug Administration relating to 
     biopharmaceutical manufacturing;
       ``(F) at the National Science Foundation, including the 
     Advanced Technological Education program;
       ``(G) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
     relating to procurement, workforce development, education, 
     training, and retraining; and
       ``(H) additional programs that the Secretary determines are 
     appropriate to support the activities of existing 
     Manufacturing USA institutes.''; and
       (13) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(j) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Agency head.--The term `agency head' means the head 
     of any Executive agency (as defined in section 105 of title 
     5, United States Code), excluding the Department of Defense, 
     that is providing financial assistance for a Manufacturing 
     USA institute, including the Secretary of Commerce and the 
     Secretary of Energy.
       ``(2) Regional innovation cluster.--The term `regional 
     innovation cluster' has the meaning given such term in 
     section 27(f)(1) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
     Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3722(f)(1)).
       ``(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       ``(1) NIST.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Secretary to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 2020 through 2024.
       ``(2) Reservation.--Of the amount made available under 
     paragraph (1) the Secretary shall reserve not less than 
     $5,000,000 for the National Office of the Manufacturing USA 
     Program established under subsection (f).
       ``(3) Department of energy.--For Manufacturing USA 
     institutes operated by the Department of Energy, there are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy--
       ``(A) $70,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 
     2022; and
       ``(B) $84,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 and 
     2024.''.

     SEC. 3. INCREASED EMPHASIS ON REGIONAL INNOVATION WITHIN AND 
                   EXTENSION OF REGIONAL INNOVATION PROGRAM.

       Section 27 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 
     Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3722) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(2) by adding at the end the following 
     new subparagraph:
       ``(I) Developing relationships at the local level to build 
     supply chains and use existing capabilities of entities 
     operating on that level to bring economic growth to suburban 
     and rural areas.''; and
       (2) in subsection (g)(2) by striking ``2019'' and inserting 
     ``2024''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2397, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 2397, the American Manufacturing Leadership 
Act.
  I thank Ms. Stevens for her leadership in introducing this bipartisan 
bill and for her commitment to developing legislation that will help 
strengthen America's manufacturing base.
  I also thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have 
worked with us to develop and advance this important legislation.
  Back in 2014, I was proud to support the original Revitalize American 
Manufacturing Innovation Act that established the Manufacturing USA 
program. That bipartisan bill was sponsored by   Tom Reed and  Joe 
Kennedy and was signed into law by President Obama.
  Since its inception 5 years ago, the Manufacturing USA program has 
grown to support 14 manufacturing institutes focused on a variety of 
technology areas, ranging from 3D printing to groundbreaking energy-
saving manufacturing processes.
  H.R. 2397 would ensure the continued success of the Manufacturing USA 
program by reauthorizing the program for another 5 years and by 
allowing agencies to renew funding for institutes after reviewing the 
institutes' progress on clear performance goals.
  This bill also strengthens the ability of the institutes to leverage 
existing programs all across the Federal Government to improve their 
role in regional innovation, education and training, defense technology 
procurement, and other activities.
  Today, manufacturing remains a vital component of our Nation's 
economy and national security. H.R. 2397 will help to grow our 
manufacturing industry and to bring along with it many good-paying jobs 
for our workforce.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 2397, the American Manufacturing 
Leadership Act. This legislation reauthorizes and amends the bipartisan 
Revitalize American Manufacturing Innovation Act of 2014.
  Nationally, manufacturing supports nearly 13 million American jobs, 
or roughly 9 percent of the workforce, and represents about 11 percent 
of the American economy. Most of these firms are small manufacturers, 
supporting local economies by providing well-paying jobs.
  Technology will continue to change this sector dramatically. Today's 
manufacturing floor looks far different from the assembly lines of the 
past, and the skills needed by manufacturing workers will continue to 
change.
  Innovative processes, such as additive manufacturing, are 
transforming the future of manufacturing. It is essential that these 
technologies are transferred to and adopted by all U.S. manufacturers 
so that we remain globally competitive and the number one destination 
for companies looking to carry out advanced manufacturing.
  With manufacturers in the United States performing 64 percent of all 
private sector R&D in the Nation, it is important that we capitalize on 
these investments and reauthorize the network of public-private 
partnerships established in this act, which bolster manufacturing 
innovation.
  This bill includes important reforms to better coordinate centers for 
manufacturing innovation funded by all relevant agencies and 
incorporates recommendations made by the Government Accountability 
Office to improve management. This bill also prioritizes manufacturing 
workforce development and outreach to small and medium-sized 
manufacturers.
  I thank Representative Stevens and Representative Balderson for 
introducing this legislation and for their work in ushering it through 
the Science Committee on a bipartisan basis. I encourage my colleagues 
to support this legislation.
  I would note to my colleague that I have no other speakers so, as I 
reserve my time, when the gentlewoman is prepared, I will close.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to have been joined by my 
colleagues to introduce H.R. 2397, the American Manufacturing 
Leadership Act. I thank Chairwoman Johnson,

[[Page H7171]]

Ranking Member Lucas, Representatives Balderson and Gonzalez, and the 
sponsors of the original Revitalize American Manufacturing Innovation 
Act, Representatives Kennedy and Reed, for their partnership in leading 
this legislation and for being such great champions for advanced 
manufacturing.
  Today is a great day. It is a great legislative day and a great day 
for American manufacturing, for innovation, for our workforce, and for 
the effective utilization of our Federal Government to advance, grow, 
and compete.
  Today, the American Manufacturing Leadership Act reauthorizes the 
Manufacturing USA program through bipartisan support and the willpower 
of our Federal Government.
  What began in Youngstown, Ohio, as a pilot initiative, the vision of 
a lab that would usher in 3D printing applications, workforce training 
programs, and the transfer of new technologies across the country and 
into the supply chain, is now one of the 14 institutes encompassing 
various research concentrations. Those include Lightweight Innovations 
for Tomorrow Institute located in Detroit; REMADE Institute in 
Rochester, New York; Digital Manufacturing Institute in Chicago; and 
PowerAmerica in North Carolina for battery technology.

  This work is in my blood, and it is part of why I came to Congress. 
It is also imperative for our role in global competition and for the 
investment in industrial policy and strategy vis-a-vis sound economic 
policy.
  We will ensure that Manufacturing USA can continue to contribute to 
the growth of our domestic advanced manufacturing base and an advanced 
manufacturing workforce to fill the high-skilled jobs of the future.
  AMLA authorizes agencies to renew their institutes for an additional 
period of funding following a fair review of the institutes' progress. 
It also strengthens the important partnership between Manufacturing USA 
and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, as well as other 
relevant programs across the Federal Government.
  Finally, the bill authorizes funding to allow the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology, NIST, and the Department of Energy to 
continue funding their current institutes and stand up at least one 
additional institute in fiscal year 2020 and each year thereafter.
  The real strength of these institutes lies in the consortium model, 
with the private partners contributing at least 50 percent of the 
funding.
  In 2017 alone, Manufacturing USA raised almost $180 million in 
investments from the private sector from nearly 1,300 manufacturers, 
universities, community colleges, government labs, and NGOs.
  They are only able to do this because the Federal Government sets the 
table and provides support in the planning, development, management, 
and operation of each institute.
  Manufacturing USA institutes provide critical U.S. global leadership 
in advanced manufacturing.

                              {time}  1430

  The institutes serve as a unique collaborative platform for industry 
and academia to engage in best-in-class expertise to solve challenges 
and usher in new innovations.
  The program is making, I believe, incredible strides in workforce 
development for the future and existing workforce. For example, in 
2017, the LIFT institute in Detroit reached over 160,000 students 
across the country through innovative web-based curricula, as well as 
in-person training programs. And the Manufacturing Institute in 
Chicago, the digital manufacturing lab, has used a taxonomic approach 
to codifying job roles specific to the changing nature of advanced 
manufacturing brought on by the Internet of Things.
  The United States will never be able to compete by bringing back the 
manufacturing of yesterday. We can celebrate our milestones--50 years 
since we landed on the Moon--as we usher in the innovations to improve 
the lives and outcomes of our manufacturing base for the next 50 years.
  The American Manufacturing Leadership Act has already been endorsed 
by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the American 
Society for Mechanical Engineers, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the 
American Association of Manufacturers.
  To the small and midsized manufacturers, to the suppliers, to the 
complex web of craftsmanship, to the future engineer, to the computer 
programmer, to the student dreaming in Livonia, Michigan, about what 
they are going to do, this one is for you.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy).
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for her 
extraordinary leadership on this issue for years, for the effort that 
she led on getting this passed in Congress several years ago, and her 
entire staff, the staff on both sides of the aisle when this bill was 
initially passed.
  I also want to thank Congresswoman Stevens for her incredible 
enthusiasm and dedication to workers across Michigan, across her 
district, but for never losing sight of what manufacturing means for 
this country, what this country was built on, and the men and women who 
make it all possible.
  Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, when I introduced the Revitalize 
American Manufacturing and Innovation Act, it was guided by one thing: 
the people in my district. They were workers from Fall River to 
Taunton, to Milford, to Newton, who built more than just products on 
factory floors. They built entire companies; they built communities; 
and they built families.
  Those same workers have made this legislation, this national 
manufacturing network, successful over the past 5 years because they 
have brought their ideas, their determination, and their passion and 
pushed our manufacturing industry forward. They have refused to leave 
anyone behind.
  Centers like the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, based at 
MIT, the research now is focused on defense and health but has 
consequences in a broad variety of additional innovations, has over 100 
members from various States across this country pioneering new 
technologies that will make their way into American homes and make our 
soldiers and troops safer along the way.
  By collaborating with local academia, especially with community 
colleges and vocational-technical schools, those workers are passing 
their skills, their expertise and experiences to a new generation of 
men and women who will follow in their footsteps.
  As the roots of these institutes continue to expand deep into 
communities, from Cambridge to Youngstown to Detroit and San Jose, 
American workers will build new companies, stronger communities, and 
secure families from the abundant resources that we produce together.
  Above all else, the workers who lift our economy to great heights on 
factory floors deserve an economy that works just as hard for them as 
they do for our Nation. I urge all my colleagues to support this 
reauthorization.
  I congratulate Ms. Stevens for work well done, and I thank the 
chairwoman again.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to 
close.
  I rise again in support of H.R. 2397, the American Manufacturing 
Leadership Act. This bipartisan legislation takes important steps to 
reform the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 
2014.
  It requires greater coordination among the centers for manufacturing 
innovation and incorporating GAO recommendations on the management of 
these centers. Most importantly, this bill prioritizes manufacturing 
workforce development and outreach to small- and medium-sized 
manufacturers.
  These public-private partnerships combine the technical knowledge 
base supported by our excellent universities and research institutions 
with innovation leadership supported by our private industries, both 
large and small. These centers provide the U.S. with the opportunity to 
lead the world in advanced manufacturing competitiveness.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I simply urge all Members on both 
sides of the aisle to support the bill.

[[Page H7172]]

  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2397, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to make changes 
to the implementation of the Manufacturing USA Network, and for other 
purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________