Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited the Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills at Hudson Valley Community College to announce her bipartisan, bicameral Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2022. Based on Gillibrand’s successful Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program, this new program incentivizes private-public partnerships by empowering the Secretary of Commerce to designate consortiums as “Manufacturing Communities,” which would be eligible for federal financial and technical assistance designed to expand and support domestic manufacturing. Gillibrand’s bill would help strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base, encourage domestic public-private partnerships, and help local businesses cut through bureaucratic red tape to address ongoing pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that continue plaguing local economies. She was joined by Mayor Patrick Madden, Hudson Valley Community College President Dr. Roger Ramsammy, and the Center for Economic Growth Chief Economic Development Officer Katie Newcombe.
“It’s going to take hard work and smart federal investments to get supply chains back on track after two years of pandemic-related disruptions,” said Senator Gillibrand. “That’s why I’m introducing the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2022 – legislation that uses current federal resources to invest in public-private partnerships building the next generation of leaders in manufacturing. By taking a community-based approach, we can invest in innovative groups, schools, and businesses, just like the Gene F. Haas Center at Hudson Valley Community College, and recruit American workers to help rebuild our national supply chain. New York is already a leader in this space, and this long-term investment will empower businesses to create good-paying manufacturing jobs that fit the needs of individual communities right at home in America.”
“I applaud Senator Gillibrand for recognizing and supporting the important place Manufacturing holds in our local economy,” said Mayor Madden. “Troy is well positioned with its mix of manufacturers, cutting edge academic research centers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and workforce training programs at Hudson Valley Community College to take advantage of this new federal support.”
“Hudson Valley Community College applauds Senator Gillibrand’s leadership and support for domestic manufacturing through the innovative Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act,” said Dr. Ramsammy. “The creation of public-private partnerships and a collaborative, community-based approach to growing American manufacturing will accelerate our efforts to train the next generation of skilled labor, meet the workforce demand for new talent, strengthen our local businesses and industries, and catalyze economic development efforts exponentially. I am grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her vision, and we at Hudson Valley stand ready to support the development of newly designated manufacturing communities envisioned for our future.”
“The Capital Region is built on a legacy of innovation and manufacturing prowess. We are helping to shape the future, from driving nation-leading R&D at the Albany Nanotech Complex to developing globally competitive industries like semiconductors, life sciences, green hydrogen, and offshore wind,” said Newcombe. “The passage of the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act will leverage the region’s collective strength and public, private, community, academic, and labor partnerships to grow and strengthen our economy and our nation’s economy for generations to come. Thank you, Senator Gillibrand. Your leadership ensures that we can provide self-sustaining, quality employment to the people in our communities while strengthening and protecting the domestic supply chain.”
Gillibrand’s Made in America program is a successor to the experimental, Obama-era “Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership” (IMCP). The Economic Development Administration operated the IMCP between 2014 and 2015 and successfully enrolled 24 locally-organized public-private consortiums. In addition to Commerce assistance, approved Made in America Manufacturing Communities in Gillibrand’s new proposal would have access to technical assistance from other federal agencies, giving them a leg up in accessing a wide array of federal grants. Specifics on Made in America eligibility and investments:
- Eligible consortiums include but are not limited to partnerships between commercial industry, state and local government organizations, and academic or workforce training organizations to convene community stakeholders and set the foundation for long-term investments in manufacturing communities.
- Eligible consortiums can be designated as a Manufacturing Community for a 5-year period, after which they can apply for re-designation for two additional 2-year periods.
- Approved Manufacturing Communities will receive assistance and investments in equipment or facility upgrades; workforce training, retraining, or recruitment and retention; business incubators; advanced research and commercialization; supply chain development; assistance for small business concerns; and strategic planning assistance for consortiums that lack experience applying for federal assistance.
In addition to Senator Gillibrand, the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2022 is supported by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Jerry Moran (R-KS). In the House of Representatives, the bill is supported by Congressmen David Cicilline (D-RI-1) and Peter Meijer (R-MI-3).
The bipartisan bill is endorsed by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition, National Association of Development Organizations, National Association of Counties, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, National Tooling and Machining Association, North American Die Casting Association, Precision Machined Products Association, Precision Metalforming Association, and the National Skills Coalition.
For the full bill text, please click here.
For more information on the bill, please click here.