WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), co-founder of the Senate Competitiveness Caucus, joined U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) in sending a letter this week to the President urging him to support recommendations of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Council to assist with his Manufacturing Jobs Initiative.

“Kansas manufacturers play a crucial role in our state’s success,” said Sen. Moran. “I would encourage the President to consider the recommendations of the Manufacturing Council as he works to implement his Manufacturing Jobs Initiative, particularly as the Council promotes the Manufacturing USA Institutes. The Institutes, which partner with a variety of industry and academic entities such as Wichita State University and the University of Kansas, work to ensure that the U.S. leads the world in research and development while implementing cutting-edge technologies.”

“Manufacturing is the lifeblood of the American economy, driving innovation, delivering high-wage jobs, and engaging new technologies to create high-value products that are in demand around the world,” the members wrote. “Since its creation in 2004, the Manufacturing Council has provided a forum to bring together private and public sector leaders to inform strategy and policy that supports this critical sector in the United States.  We believe the expertise, insights, and policy recommendations that the Council provided will be an important resource for the new administration.”

Please find below the full letter:

January 31, 2017

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write to express our support for the recent announcement of your Manufacturing Jobs Initiative and your intent to seek counsel from CEOs and business leaders who can provide valuable insights and recommendations for creating manufacturing jobs and promoting economic growth.  As you move forward with this Initiative, we want to bring your attention to prior work of the Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Council that may accelerate your efforts.

Manufacturing is the lifeblood of the American economy, driving innovation, delivering high-wage jobs, and engaging new technologies to create high-value products that are in demand around the world.  Since its creation in 2004, the Manufacturing Council has provided a forum to bring together private and public sector leaders to inform strategy and policy that supports this critical sector in the United States.  We believe the expertise, insights, and policy recommendations that the Council provided will be an important resource for the new administration.

Over the past few years, the Manufacturing Council has offered a number of strong policy recommendations that deserve consideration.  We particularly support recommendations to promote successful approaches for the Manufacturing USA Institutes (the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation).  Public investment in the Manufacturing USA Institutes is more than matched by private sector investment, demonstrating that the effort is market-driven.  The work of these Institutes will help ensure that the United States leads the world in R&D and the implementation of cutting-edge technologies.

In the Manufacturing Council’s final report issued on August 3, 2016, the Council also recommended that public and private leaders focus on strengthening manufacturing and defense supply chains as well as cybersecurity.  These are two critical policy areas because manufacturing increasingly employs digital communication methods from design to production to delivery.  These are just a few of the recommendations that should be a core part of an agenda to create manufacturing jobs.

Support for manufacturing is bipartisan and bicameral, as evidenced by the signatories to this letter representing the Co-Chairs of the Senate Competitiveness Caucus and the House Manufacturing Caucus.  Manufacturing is a policy area where Congress and the administration can find common ground.  In recent years, bipartisan cooperation on manufacturing has led to the enactment of legislation to strengthen enforcement of trade secrets, encourage public-private partnerships aimed to revitalize manufacturing innovation, and permanently extend the R&D tax credit.  These important actions in support of manufacturers will have a direct impact on job creation and economic growth in the United States.

Finally, we support Andrew Liveris’ leadership role on the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative.  As a former Chairman and CEO of Dow Chemical, Mr. Liveris is a well-respected business leader with experience working with government, industry, and academia.  As Co-Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Steering Committee, he set the stage for important public and private investments in research and development, including the 14 Manufacturing USA Institutes.

Thank you for your consideration.  We look forward to working together to ensure that the United States continues to produce the highest quality, most sought-after products in the world. 

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