"Make It In America" Agenda Is Heating Up

http://www.imts.com/visitor/newsletter/insider/2011Jul14/biz_MakeItInAmerica.html 

July 14, 2011
In an effort to spur innovation and manufacturing in this country, Congressional Democrats have been pushing their "Make It In America" jobs agenda hard this past month, in conjunction with President Obama's Advanced Manufacturing Partnership he introduced on June 24. This agenda is a comprehensive approach that focuses on numerous initiatives to cultivate a pro-business and manufacturing environment. It aims to establish the conditions necessary to produce, innovate, and create jobs here in the United States while giving American businesses a competitive edge against their international competitors.
"Make It In America" aims to again place manufacturing in its pivotal role in creating a strong economy, strengthening the middle class and making America more competitive in the world economy. There is no one-stop solution available that could turn this dismal economy around – that is why it takes a multi-pronged approach such as this one. Many of the initiatives proposed in this agenda agree with AMT's Manufacturing Mandate – including the need to provide innovation and R&D incentives, increase global competitiveness, ease the availability of capital and build a better educated and trained workforce in the next generation of advanced technology.
Several bills introduced in the House of Representatives are worth keeping your eye on are:

• National Manufacturing Strategy Act - H.R. 1366 - Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) – Directs the President to work with industry and labor leaders in developing a multi-year national manufacturing strategy
• Research and Development Tax Credit Extension Act – H.R. 1693 – Representative John Carney (D-DE) – Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the research credit permanent and to increase the alternative simplified research credit
• Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act – H.R. 639 – Representative Sander Levin (D-MI) – Holds countries accountable that create an unfair trade advantage by manipulating their currencies
• Job Opportunities Between Our Shores – H.R. 1716 – Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) – Establishes a Workforce Investment Act pilot program to provide education and training programs in advanced manufacturing
• Make It In America Block Grant Act – H.R. 1912 – Representative David Cicilline (R-RI) – Establishes a grant program for small- and medium-sized businesses in communities hardest hit by the recession to retrofit their operations and train their workforce in the most promising technology

There are many other proposed bills in the "Make It In America" agenda that display strong support for the manufacturing industry. As these bills move forward, AMT will keep you updated and will continue to push Congress to find new, innovative ways to bolster manufacturing and strengthen our country.



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