WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Editor's Note: The attached video is from Nov. 2020.
U.S. lawmakers, including several Ohio Congressmen, introduced legislation Monday aimed at strengthening the country's manufacturing industry.
The bipartisan, bicameral Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act would create a new Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy (OMII) overseen by a Chief Manufacturing Officer in the Executive Office of the President.
“America’s manufacturing and innovation sectors are second to none, which is why when we work together and support America’s key manufacturing industries and workers, there is nothing in this world we can’t achieve,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) said.
Kaptur said the legislation would develop a long-term plan to ensure the growth and national security of the U.S. manufacturing industry and workforce and coordinate efforts to support manufacturing across the federal government, improve workforce development and job creation, and enhance research and development.
In a press release, Kaptur said, in part:
“As a daughter of Toledo, Ohio, a strong, hard-working industrial city, I know how important a strong manufacturing sector is to American families and communities. That’s why I’m pleased to author and introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act. This legislation will play a pivotal role in strengthening our government’s collaboration with and responsiveness to manufacturing leaders, sectors, and workers across the country. Manufacturing businesses, no matter how small or large, play a monumental role in strengthening our communities and our country – they are our backbone."
According to Kaptur, the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act will:
- Create the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy led by the CMO, who advises the President. The OMII also provides a comprehensive study across administration management of efforts to ensure America’s global leadership in manufacturing critical to the long-term health and national security of the United States, including developing a National Strategic Plan, quadrennially, with short and long-term goals.
- Establish 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.
- Create a National Medal of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation to recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge in manufacturing and industrial innovation.
- Establish 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.
- Establish 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.
“We applaud the introduction of the bipartisan Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act. As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, America has become far too vulnerable because we have lost the manufacturing capacity to make critical goods. We must dramatically upscale our investments in infrastructure, innovation, and the workforce. A national manufacturing strategy, combined with an office dedicated to strengthening domestic manufacturing in the Executive Office of the President, will help ensure those investments create the resilient supply chains we need to rebuild our economy and safeguard our security,” Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, said.
Here's a look at the lawmakers who introduced this new legislation alongside Kaptur on Monday:
- U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)
- U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)
- U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)
- U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
- U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH)
- U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI)