by James Parks, May 4, 2011
Rebuilding America’s manufacturing base is central to rebuilding our nation’s economy and it’s time for Congress to focus on jobs, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said today. Trumka commended Democratic House Whip Steny Hoyer for refocusing attention on job creation by introducing the bipartisan “Make it in America” agenda, a series of proposals that together would create a national manufacturing strategy.
The nation has seen too many jobs move overseas, Trumka said, including research and development capacity. The loss of the nation’s innovative, technical and industrial capacity not only undermines opportunities in America, it also threatens our national security, he added.
The Make It in America agenda also would address the long-term issue of the Chinese government’s currency manipulation, which has had a devastating impact on our economy, Trumka added.
“This nation can no longer live on legacy,” he said.
We need to invest trillions in the coming decades to build a 21st century infrastructure and we must ensure that we actually make the technology and materials for the things we are building and installing. The Make it in America agenda is a big step in the right direction to resolve our manufacturing crisis.
Read the entire statement here.
