Stevens Legislation to Strengthen American Manufacturing Passes House

Press Release

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation by Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) to strengthen our nation's largest investment in advanced manufacturing -- the Manufacturing USA Program.

H.R. 2397, the American Manufacturing Leadership Act, will reauthorize and improve the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Act by increasing funding for the program, strengthening the institutes' role in advanced manufacturing workforce development, and facilitating regional supply chain development. Science Committee Chairwoman Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA), Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), and Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) were original cosponsors of the bill.

The Manufacturing USA program is a public-private network of 14 manufacturing institutes to grow U.S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing. These institutes bring together federal agencies, manufacturers of all sizes, universities, community colleges, and nonprofits to catalyze new technologies, meet research needs, and train the advanced manufacturing workforce of the future. Two Manufacturing USA Institutes, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT), are based or have a significant presence in southeast Michigan.

The American Manufacturing Leadership Act would:

Reauthorize and amend the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Act of 2014 and extend it to all agencies sponsoring centers for manufacturing innovation.
Strengthen the institutes' role in advanced manufacturing workforce development and in outreach to and inclusion of small and medium sized businesses.
Authorize agencies to renew institutes for an additional period of funding following a rigorous review of the institute's progress toward meeting measurable goals.
Expand the authorities of the Manufacturing USA Program office housed at NIST to collaborate with other agencies, including to develop network-wide performance goals.
Encourage the Program office to develop pilot programs and identify and disseminate best practices in education and workforce training for the institutes.
"I've traveled all over Michigan's 11th District meeting with and listening to manufacturers, and I know how important advanced manufacturing is to our economy in southeast Michigan," said Congresswoman Stevens. "Before serving in Congress, I worked at a Manufacturing USA Institute conducting research on digital manufacturing techniques and the future of work. I have seen how Manufacturing USA uses the public-private partnership model to create a unique collaborative platform for U.S. industry and academia to exchange best-in-class expertise to solve challenges and push the bounds of innovation. I am thrilled that my colleagues in the House of Representatives voted to pass my bill, the American Manufacturing Leadership Act, with bipartisan support. This bill will ensure that the Manufacturing USA program can continue to contribute to the growth of our domestic advanced manufacturing industry and an advanced manufacturing workforce to fill the high-skills jobs of the future."

In the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Stevens has been a leading advocate for the manufacturing sector. In her role as Chair of the House Science Subcommittee on Research & Technology, she has chaired a subcommittee hearing on advanced manufacturing. She introduced the American Manufacturing Leadership Act, a bill to improve the Manufacturing USA program. She has also written an op-ed and introduced a resolution to promote the practice of remanufacturing, and been named to the 2019 class of Influential Women in Manufacturing. Congresswoman Stevens often holds "Manufacturing Monday" events in Michigan, during which she visits small- and mid-size businesses, training centers, schools, or other places that play a role in southeast Michigan's manufacturing and innovation economy. Earlier this month, the House passed a Stevens-led amendment to help small- and mid-sized manufacturers implement more robust cybersecurity standards.

"Just as Ohio is called "The Heart of It All,' small businesses are the heart of the U.S. economy," said Congressman Troy Balderson. "That's why programs like the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which helps small- and medium-sized businesses create and retain jobs, are vital to a prosperous America."

"We are rapidly entering a new era of advanced manufacturing in which the products we will make require technologies that don't yet exist," said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. "We must continue to support robust investments in advanced manufacturing, in partnership with the private sector, to ensure that our nation remains a global leader in this essential economic sector."

"Northeast Ohio relies on the strength of our manufacturing industry, with about 41,000 people in my district directly working in the industry and contributing $2.2. billion annually in payroll. In a world with quickly advancing technology, it is critical we keep up and promote workforce development and innovation that will close our nation's skills gap in advanced manufacturing and keep our nation on the cutting edge of technological advancement. This bill will help us do just that," said Rep. Anthony Gonzalez.

"Rebuilding our manufacturing sector requires the loyalty and ingenuity of American workers, the innovation of our private sector and the commitment of our government," said Rep. Joe Kennedy. "In the years since we passed the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act, cities, towns and regions with deep manufacturing roots have built new industries and strengthened communities. With today's introduction of the AMLA Act, we can continue that growth and prepare our workforce and local businesses for a rapidly evolving economy."

"The American Manufacturing Leadership Act would bolster the Manufacturing USA Program and Manufacturing Extension Partner Program to maintain our nation's competitive edge," says BPC Action Executive Director Michele Stockwell. "BPC Action applauds Reps. Stevens and Balderson for their bipartisan efforts on this legislation."

"The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation endorses the bipartisan American Manufacturing Leadership Act," said Information Technology and Innovation Foundation President Dr. Robert Atkinson. "This legislation affirms that the Manufacturing USA network of innovation institutes plays a critical role in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing and takes important steps to ensure that role continues. It authorizes federal funding for the institutes on an ongoing basis, contingent upon a competitive, merit-based review process, rather than phasing out as current law requires. It calls for the creation of new institutes to drive advanced manufacturing across a wider array of innovative sectors than is possible today. It enables the institutes to coordinate more effectively with one another and with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which will disseminate advances made by the institutes throughout the entire U.S. manufacturing supply chain. Congressional passage of this Act is an important step toward addressing significant weaknesses in the U.S. economy and improving the global competitiveness of American regions, producers, and workers."

"SEMI is pleased to offer its support for the American Manufacturing Leadership Act (H.R. 2397), the House bill to reauthorize Manufacturing USA Program and promote innovation as a means to help ensure continued growth in strategic industry sectors," said SEMI Vice President of Global Industry Advocacy Mike Russo. "SEMI's members cover the end-to-end electronics manufacturing supply chain and will benefit by government investment in innovation as well as enhanced training and workforce development in advance manufacturing."

"The Alliance for American Manufacturing lauds the introduction of The American Manufacturing Leadership Act," said Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul. "Manufacturing USA was created to bolster domestic manufacturing by fostering collaborative innovation clusters that help manufacturers invent, adopt, and produce next generation technologies and products. It is critical to our nation's long-term success that investments in research and development translate to the transfer of new technologies and techniques to U.S. manufacturers and fabricators. By bringing together government, industry and academia to cultivate innovation and R&D in emerging industries, Manufacturing USA's network of manufacturing institutes is an integral part of this effort strengthen our economy's competitiveness and create good manufacturing jobs right here in the U.S. This bipartisan legislation will strengthen our innovation ecosystem by promoting more robust outreach to small and medium sized businesses, strengthening the institutes' role in workforce development, and encouraging the establishment of additional manufacturing institutes to ensure the U.S. continues to be a global leader in manufacturing technology."

The American Manufacturing Leadership Act was also endorsed by the Association of American Universities, the Association for Manufacturing Technology, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Small Manufacturers Coalition, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

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