State of Manufacturing Address, Fuel Standards & 5G
Thursday, February 21, 2019
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Posted by: Alyce Ryan
AICC, through its membership in the Council of Manufacturing Associations, is pleased to present the "Top Takes on Manufacturing, Politics and Policy - Input" from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS (NAM)
Good Thursday morning! Today takes the State of Manufacturing Tour to Sheffield and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where it will visit Sukup Manufacturing Company, Kirkwood Community College and Johnson County Regional Center at the University of Iowa. For more information, go to CreatorsWanted.org.
Top Headlines
The State of Manufacturing
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Yesterday, before an audience of more than 300 students, school administrators, faculty and area manufacturing and business leaders, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons delivered his State of Manufacturing Address at Lone Star College in Texas. You can watch the full address here or read it here.
He spoke about the future of manufacturing—its need for more young “creators” to join it, and better training to equip them for technological transformations in their work. He also covered the major issues concerning manufacturers today.
First, infrastructure:
- “We need modernized ports, waterways, pipes, pipelines, electric grid and airports—as well as next-generation communications infrastructure like 5G technology.”
- “So, manufacturers are calling on Congress to make a serious investment in our nation’s infrastructure. Without action, we will lose 5.8 million jobs by 2040. But with an injection of $1 trillion in American infrastructure, we will create 11 million.”
Then, trade:
- “Number one: manufacturers are counting on Congress to ratify the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement and to do so quickly. These two countries are our most important trading partners.”
- “Second, we want to see the administration come to an agreement to hold China accountable.”
And last, immigration:
- “The broken system is not fair—not to the Dreamers who know no home other than the United States of America; not to Americans who want to know their country is secure.”
- “Manufacturers understand that a truly comprehensive solution has to show compassion, provide security and address economic realities. Last week, the NAM released just such a plan. We sent it to Congress. And we sent it to the White House.”
- “It’s not all Republican ideas. It’s not all Democratic ideas. It’s a realistic compromise. That’s what it’s going to take. And that’s what Americans expect.”
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Fuel Talks Sputter
The U.S. government has ended negotiations with California over a possible agreement about vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards, reports Reuters. A little background:
- “California and 19 other states have demanded the Trump administration abandon a proposal made in August to freeze fuel efficiency standards after 2020 and strip California of the ability to impose stricter rules.”
- “The California Air Resources Board (CARB), California’s top clean air regulator, has been meeting with officials from the White House, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Department over Trump administration efforts to stop California from tightening vehicle emissions rules in the state.”
There’s some confusion about the way forward:
- “The government official offered no further details on the end of the talks and it was not immediately clear when an announcement would be made.”
- “California officials already have filed suit to block the Trump administration proposal to roll back federal fuel economy targets for 2022-2025. It is not clear how the industry would respond to the formal adoption of Trump’s proposed freeze, and likely litigation by California and other states.”
This news will trouble automakers, who have urged both the federal agencies and California to compromise and produce uniform rules for the entire country. NAM Vice President of Energy and Resources Policy Ross Eisenberg stopped by to comment on this development:
“Manufacturers need one national standard for fuel economy and GHG emissions that results in year-over-year improvements. While an agreement by all three agencies would have been preferable, it is not the only way to achieve the certainty manufacturers need. The NAM will continue to work toward a solution that provides a ‘win’ for the environment and the economy.”
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