[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E311-E312] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] INTRODUCTION OF THE OFFICE OF MANUFACTURING & INDUSTRIAL POLICY ACT ______ HON. MARCY KAPTUR of ohio in the house of representatives Friday, March 26, 2021 Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, manufacturing is not just America's legacy; it is our future. To ensure this legacy remains, we need to position domestic manufacturing and the American worker at the center of federal policy. America's manufacturing and innovation sectors are second to none. When we work together and support America's domestic manufacturing ecosystem, there is nothing in this world we cannot achieve. As a daughter of the industrial Midwest, the strong, hardworking city of Toledo, Ohio, I know firsthand how important a strong manufacturing sector is to American families and their communities. It is for these workers, their forbearers and future generation of manufactures yet to come, that I am so pleased to author and introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act. The global coronavirus pandemic exposed how vulnerable the United States has become as a result of over-reliance on international supply chains. Yet these lessons provide opportunity in both economic recovery and to reposition American manufacturing for long-term prosperity. To do this, we need an Office at the highest level to coordinate, strengthen, and rebuild America's manufacturing leadership. The Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act provides this opportunity. This legislation will create within the Executive Office of the President (EOP) an Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation (OMII) to elevate and coordinate manufacturing and industrial innovation policy. The Office will synthesize information from inter and intra governmental engagements, as well as advice from the manufacturing sector, including small businesses, labor unions, academics, and nongovernmental bodies. This bipartisan legislation will elevate focus to address critical challenges facing the American manufacturing industry, establish key agency coordination and cross-administration management efforts to ensure global leadership in manufacturing and trade, improve workforce development and job creation for the future, enhance research and development, and develop a long-term strategy to ensure the growth and national security of the U.S. manufacturing industry, workforce, and economy. In summary, provisions included in each of the titles establish the following initiatives: Title I. Establishes Policy and Priority Objectives for U.S. Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation: lays out goals to promote a thriving manufacturing and industrial sector, enhanced and fortified by coordinated efforts to address the enumerated policies and priorities, focused through comprehensive strategy implemented at the highest- level. Title II. Entities to Advance a Cohesive U.S. Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Agenda Creates The Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy, modeled on the Executive Office of Science and Technology Policy, to provide manufacturing and industrial perspective and advice to the President, and provide a comprehensive survey and cross administration management of efforts to ensure global leadership in manufacturing critical to the long-term health and national security of the United States. A Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO) will serve as Director of OMII and advisor to the President. The CMO will lead coordination of manufacturing and industrial innovation initiatives across the federal Government and work with representatives in State and local government, labor, non-governmental groups, and private business to develop and implement enhanced coordination of manufacturing policy. OMII will develop and update a National Strategic Plan, quadrennially, with short and long-term goals to ensure American leadership in manufacturing. Title III. Establishes the President's Committee on Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation, comprised of representatives from the business, consumer, defense, public interest, and labor sectors to analyze the landscape of manufacturing efforts and activities in America. The Committee will be apportioned by the President and report on the state of manufacturing and provide recommendations to strengthen the sector through federal policies and initiatives. Title IV. Establishes the Federal Strategy and Coordinating Council on Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation, chaired by the President, to coordinate manufacturing and industrial innovation policy. The Council will convene the heads of various executive agencies--including Secretaries of Commerce, Labor, HHS, DOD, and Energy--to establish national priorities and coordinated strategies for manufacturing and industrial innovation policy and investment. Title V. Establishes a Federally Funded Research & Development Center: The Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Institute to gather, analyze, initiate studies, and assist the federal government on issues and concerns related to American manufacturing and industrial innovation. The National Institute of Standards and Technology will sponsor the Institute. Title VI. Creates a National Medal of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation to recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge in manufacturing and industrial innovation. Title VII. Appropriations: authorizes sums as needed, but specifies $5 million per title for the first year for Title 2, Title 3, Title 4, Title 5. America's manufacturing legacy is one of prosperity and progress. This Office provides the opportunity to once again prioritize U.S. manufacturing and industrial innovation to support job creation and America's long-term economic strength. Given the lofty efforts of this Office, the legislation earned endorsement of numerous groups, including: the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), the AFL-CIO, the American Mold Builders Association (AMBA), the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC), the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), the National Association of Manufacturing (NAM), the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), the Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA), the State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI), the International Union of United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), and the United Steel Workers (USW). Here is a glimpse of what the groups and experts across the country have to say about the importance of this effort: The U.S. has seen massive supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19, which have required small manufacturers to rapidly reinvent both their products and their services. Representative Kaptur and Senator Klobuchar understand the challenges facing American manufacturers and have demonstrated long standing support for this critical industry, said Chuck Spangler, board chair of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) and president of the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership. ``We at ASMC thank them for their leadership and we look forward to working with them in the future.'' The COVID pandemic laid bare what many of us have been saying for years--the United States is long overdue for a comprehensive, national manufacturing and innovation strategy. The foundation laid in this bipartisan bill to create an Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy and a federal plan for manufacturing will go a long way to making that a reality. The AFL-CIO is proud to endorse this important bill. Brad Markell, Executive Director AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council The decisions made by every federal department affects manufacturers, often with unintended consequences. The Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act will help make sure small and medium sized manufacturers have a strong voice within the federal government and help agencies coordinate policies that encourage domestic manufacturing. Precision Machined Products Association The Machinists Union applauds Senators lobuchar, Wicker, Coons. and Portman, and Representative Kaptur and Representative Fitzpatrick for not only recognizing the critical importance of the U.S. manufacturing industry, but for also proposing long awaited legislation that will rebuild U.S. manufacturing for a sustainable future. The bipartisan Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act places a priority on creating the kind of high wage jobs that American workers and our economy need now and for future generations. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers--International President Robert Martinez Jr. The bipartisan Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act is a critical step toward establishing an effective national industrial strategy that would benefit [[Page E312]] working people and union members in every state and congressional district. IFPTE applauds Senators Klobuchar, Wicker, Coons, and Portman and Representative Kaptur and Fitzpatrick for proposing legislation that aligns federally funded research, development, and technological innovation with the goal of rebuilding the nation's industrial base and supports high-quality high-wage domestic manufacturing jobs. Paul Shearon, President of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Manufacturing has been the foundation of the U.S. economy from the beginning. Bipartisan support of this effort highlights the importance of working together to ensure future economic opportunity for all Americans.--Prof. Mark Johnson, Director of Clemson Center for Advanced Manufacturing, former Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Office at the U.S. Department of Energy The federal government needs an industrial policy for manufacturing in America that encourages innovation and investment, in both technologies and people. The Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act will make sure that the White House has a coordinated strategy to promote domestic manufacturing growth. National Tooling and Machining Association I can think of few more important initiatives for our long- term competitiveness than the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act. In the years to come, this legislation will ensure robust coordination across every facet of public and private enterprise, and advance both our national and economic security. Public policy in these key areas are often undertaken on an ad hoc, disaggregated basis. The provisions of this bill will set the foundation for America to `Build Back Better' with a robust strategy grounded in real science, productivity, and smart job growth.--Neal Orringer, Former Director of Manufacturing for the U.S. Department of Defense and Former Manufacturing Senior Advisor to U.S. Commerce Secretary and Co-Chair of White House Office of Manufacturing Policy The Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act gives manufacturers a long overdue seat at the policy-making table at a time when the sector is taking a leading role responding to the pandemic and driving the economy. Precision Metalforming Association Rapid and effective implementation of President Biden's BuildBackBetter agenda is critical to restore the nation's global competitiveness in manufacturing and rebuild our domestic supply chains. The Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Office, modeled on the Office of Science and Technology Policy, will develop a national manufacturing strategy, strengthen partnerships between the federal and state governments, and coordinate the siloed 58 federal manufacturing programs. Working closely with the private sector and educational institutions, the Office will ensure that all workers, communities, and companies will participate in economic growth.'' Phillip Singerman, former NIST Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (2011-2020) The White House should take a whole of government approach to manufacturing and the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act will put the sector at the center of policymaking within the Executive Office of the President. American Mold Builders Association Based on my experience as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at OSTP (2009-12), creating the OMII is a critical step to regain America's leadership in advanced manufacturing, rebuild the national manufacturing innovation ecosystem, and rekindle American ingenuity. OMII is designed to provide a much needed national strategy and requisite policy implementation to ensure that what is invented here is manufactured here to deliver a return on investment of taxpayer dollars in science and technology.--Sridhar Kota, Executive Director, MForesight: Alliance for Manufacturing Foresight; Herrick Professor of Engineering, University of Michigan. ``The fastener industry makes the nuts, bolts and screws that hold the world together. We are pleased to support this legislation to elevate manufacturing within the Executive Office of the President, and to better coordinate the various manufacturing initiatives across the federal government as the U.S. focuses on a needed national manufacturing strategy.''--Dan Walker, Managing Director, Industrial Fasteners Institute I thank my colleagues, Representatives Haley Stevens, Tim Ryan, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Chuck Fleischmann for introducing this bipartisan bill with me in the House, and Senators Amy Klobuchar, Roger Wicker, Chris Coons, and Rob Portman for their leadership on this bill in the Senate. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge Jenny Perrino, my Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director, for her hard work to craft this legislation and bring it to the line. Together, I am confident we can champion this bill through Congress and to the President's desk without delay. America's manufacturing workers deserve nothing less. ____________________