[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1720
                THE NATIONAL FAB LAB NETWORK ACT OF 2013

  (Mr. FOSTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the National Fab Lab 
Network Act of 2013. I introduced this bill because America needs a 
well-trained workforce for advanced manufacturing.
  When I go home, people ask me, Where are the jobs? But when I talk to 
manufacturing groups like the Tooling & Manufacturing Association in 
Illinois, they tell me there is a mismatch between job openings and 
students and workers with the right skills to fill them.
  Fab labs can help bridge that skills gap. Fab labs are workshops 
equipped with computer-controlled machine tools that allow children and 
adults to build almost anything. The first fab lab was started at MIT, 
and they have spread worldwide.
  My bill would create a Federal charter for a nonprofit organization 
called the National Fab Lab Network. This chartered status would be 
similar to that enjoyed by Little League Baseball or the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars. My bill would help American manufacturers fill job 
openings and encourage students to become more active in STEM fields, 
all at no cost to taxpayers.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this initiative and to 
cosponsor the National Fab Lab Network Act of 2013.

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