by James Parks, May 9, 2011
Unlike our competitors, the United States does not have a national manufacturing strategy. The “Make It in America” agenda, proposed by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), is a step toward pursuing policies that will support and create manufacturing jobs, says Machinists (IAM) President Tom Buffenbarger. He urged support for the agenda and praised parts of it as critical to restoring the nation’s economic and national security.
Each month that passes without a comprehensive national plan to rebuild our manufacturing infrastructure is another month this nation suffers needlessly. The time for debate and lip service to the notion of large-scale job creation has past. We need big ideas, big enough to put hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work every month. Our economy will remain stuck in neutral until we do.
Every American should be concerned about the outsourcing of key defense capabilities and loss of this nation’s ability to manufacture the means of our own defense.
The IAM released “Creating And Sustaining U.S. Manufacturing Jobs,” which calls for specific policy changes to bolster manufacturing, including requiring domestic employment impact statements for government program contracts and enforcing trade laws among others.
Read the full report here.
