[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 30, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1013-E1014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AMERICAN MANUFACTURING LEADERSHIP ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. TROY BALDERSON

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 23, 2019

  Mr. BALDERSON. Mr. Speaker, I am a proud original cosponsor of 
Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Haley Stevens' bill, 
the American Manufacturing Leadership Act because our nation's economy 
relies on the manufacturing industry and must

[[Page E1014]]

prioritize policies that strengthen it. In my home state of Ohio, the 
manufacturing industry accounts for 16.6 percent of total output, and 
employs 12.5 percent of our workforce, or 690,200 employees. All told, 
the manufacturing produced $107.95 billion worth of output in Ohio in 
2017 and continues to grow each day.
  H.R. 2397 would strengthen our nation's largest investment in 
advanced manufacturing--the Manufacturing USA Program--which has 
thrived in the past seven years since its creation and build on that 
success to strengthen our manufacturing workforce. This bill would 
reauthorize the successful Revitalize American Manufacturing and 
Innovation of 2014 and extend it to all agencies sponsoring centers for 
manufacturing innovation, allowing more of those that invest in 
manufacturing to benefit from this program. It would further strengthen 
the institutes' role in advanced manufacturing workforce development--
something I'm deeply passionate about--along with outreach to and 
inclusion of small- and medium-sized businesses, which are vital to a 
prosperous American economy.
  H.R. 2397 also puts important checks, balances, and oversight into 
place by encouraging the program office to develop pilot programs for 
the institutes, as well as identify for and disseminate to them best 
education and workforce training practices. It would also expand 
Manufacturing USA's authorities to collaborate with other agencies, 
including to develop network-wide performance goals. In addition, while 
this bill would authorize agencies to renew institutes for an 
additional period of funding, allowing those institutes to meet their 
ultimate goals, this would only be allowed following a rigorous review 
of the institute's progress toward meeting measurable goals.
  The manufacturing industry is a pillar of the American economy and 
drives many of the other industries that make up our country's annual 
GDP. Without the manufacturing industry, the American economy would 
cease to exist. H.R. 2397 would expand on manufacturing programs with 
proven success and accelerate our nation's progress in advanced 
manufacturing. Ultimately, this legislation leverages existing programs 
across the federal government to help Manufacturing USA Institutes 
achieve its goals. Finally, as an advocate for small business and 
workforce development, I'm excited that this bill expands to include 
more small- and medium-sized manufacturers, since they are the 
lifeblood of our nation's economy.
  Once again, I thank my colleague from Michigan for her leadership on 
this legislation, and I urge the committee's support of H.R. 2397.

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