News Release

“Make it in America” Plan is an Important First Step toward Reviving America’s Middle Class

Washington, DC -- Campaign for America’s Future’s co-director Robert Borosage is praising the House Democratic leaders’ commitment to pursue a "Make it in America" manufacturing jobs agenda, which was announced yesterday.

Borosage said, “The American economy must be built on a solid foundation. We need to rebuild our infrastructure, renew our manufacturing base and educate our people. America needs an industrial policy to help fit these pieces together. The set of `Make it in America’ proposals announced by House Democratic leaders points the Congress in the right direction. And, if enacted, they would help put the U.S. back in the game of modern manufacturing, exporting and job creation. From workforce development to component manufacture, we need a strategic collaboration between the private sector and the government to reach our shared national goals. We need an opportunity for stakeholders to come together to remove obstacles, allocate resources, and create rules that work for everyone.”

Campaign for America’s Future Fellow Dave Johnson wrote, “Congressional Democrats yesterday unveiled the Make It In America plan for the 112th congress. This is a set of specific, detailed, targeted bills that clearly create jobs and begin to restore our economic competitiveness, beginning with a national strategy for manufacturing. This is very different from the vague, sloganeering, lobbyist-written plan offered by Senate Republicans.”
The “Make It in America” proposals include:

• Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (Reps. Levin and Tim Ryan, H.R. 639): Levels the trade playing field by holding accountable countries that create an unfair trade advantage by manipulating their currency.
• National Manufacturing Strategy Act (Rep. Lipinski, H.R. 1366): Directs the president to work with industry, labor leaders, and other stakeholders to develop a national strategy to increase manufacturing.
• Build American Jobs Act (Rep. Levin, H.R. 922)/Build America Bonds to Create Jobs Now Act (Rep. Connolly, H.R. 11): Extends the Build America Bonds program, provides additional funding for the Recovery Zone bonds program, and makes improvements to existing bond and credit programs to help states and local governments leverage private capital to create jobs today, and build the infrastructure that is the backbone of future economic growth.
• National Infrastructure Development Bank Act (Rep. DeLauro, H.R. 402): Establishes a wholly-owned government corporation to facilitate efficient investments in and financing of infrastructure projects—from leading-edge broadband networks and energy delivery systems to modern ports—that foster economic development and keep America competitive.
• Innovative Technologies Investment Incentives Act (Rep. Van Hollen): Accelerates innovation by providing a 25% tax credit for qualified equity investments in eligible high technology and biotechnology small businesses.
• Build a 21st Century Surface Transportation System: Enact a Surface Transportation Authorization bill to create a modern and efficient transportation system that facilitates trade and industry.
• Workforce Investment Act: Our economy is only as strong as the people who work to grow it. The American workforce investment system is supported by a partnership of educators, workforce development professionals and the business community who work together to ensure the vitality of local economies. A robust reauthorization of WIA will ensure that workers who seek opportunities in a new field or new opportunities within their own field have the support they need.
• The Keep American Jobs from Going Down the Drain Act (Rep. Sutton, H.R. 1684): Gives preference to U.S.-made goods and materials for use in the installation, replacement, and improvement of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

The Democrats are also working on plans for clean energy manufacturing, energy efficiency, and alternative energy.

Link to Campaign for America’s Future Fellow Dave Johnson’s blog about the “Make it in America” plan: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011051804/make-it-america-plan-crea...