Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5390, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act.

Our Nation's manufacturing base was once the envy of the world, but unfortunately, it has faced steady headwinds for the last several decades. The United States' share of global manufacturing activity has declined from 28 percent in 2002 to less than 16 percent in 2021. Investments in America's small and medium manufacturers, the bedrock of our industrial might, has also declined over the last 20 years by more than $200 billion. This has also resulted in our domestic manufacturing base shedding more than 4 million jobs.

Fortunately, the work we did last Congress in passing the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Chips and Science Act are already helping to turn the tide. Our Nation added nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs during President Biden's first 20 months in office. Total construction spending on manufacturing in this time has skyrocketed to nearly $200 billion per month, more than doubling prepandemic levels.

H.R. 5390, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act, will further support America's manufacturing renaissance by commissioning the Department of Commerce to study the costs, benefits, and feasibility of manufacturing products within critical infrastructure sectors in the United States.

I thank Representatives Miller-Meeks, Spanberger, Kuster, and Bucshon for their bipartisan work and leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask that we support this important legislation on both sides of the aisle, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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