Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. HULTGREN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, Mr. Bucshon from Indiana. I also want to recognize the important leadership of Chairman Smith. I want to thank him for his great work on this. I also want to thank the sponsors who really did so much of the heavy lifting on this. Congressman Reed and Congressman Kennedy did great work on a wonderful bill.

Manufacturing is a vital component of my district's economy. There are 554 manufacturing facilities in the 14th Congressional District with 10 or more employees in them. Manufacturing facilities employ also more than 27,000 workers across my district alone.

The workers at manufacturing facilities in the 14th Congressional District of Illinois have felt the economic downturn disproportionately as Federal and State governments have failed to change outdated or unneeded policies that keep my constituents from regaining full employment. Later this week, the House will vote on a package of bills to help alleviate these problems, but there are more ways we must act to help ensure our manufacturers have the tools they need to remain competitive on the world stage.

This legislation gives needed direction to the administration for funding a national network for manufacturing innovation. These programs would bring together our country's vast research capabilities and help align our institutions with industry partners. Our universities and colleges must know what industry needs in order to provide valuable research as well as train our next workforce. This legislation would also help to remove some of the barriers that keep industry from working together and innovating in a 21st century economy.

I am also very glad to see authorization for the Regional Innovation program. This is a smart, targeted program that allows local regions to pool their resources and work together. Industry clusters are one of the most effective ways to compile and share best practices, and the fact that these programs give preference to bids involving Local Workforce Investment Boards is another reason to support this bill.

These boards are doing all they can to help my constituents find work, and this is the cooperative federalism that will ensure taxpayer dollars are not wasted.

I would like to commend the gentleman from New York for introducing this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

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