Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the bipartisan Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act has passed the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and is now headed to the full Senate for a vote. Senator Gillibrand’s legislation would grow the manufacturing industry across the country by creating a permanent program that designates local regions as “Manufacturing Communities,” which would put them in the front of the line to receive federal economic development funding specifically for the purpose of investing in manufacturing.
“New York has one of the most diverse and talented workforces in the entire country, but too many good-paying manufacturing jobs have left our state,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We need to do everything we can to keep manufacturing jobs in New York and bring back new good-paying jobs. This bipartisan legislation would unlock millions of dollars in federal economic development funds for smart investments in New York and would help create good-paying manufacturing jobs, launch new businesses, and help grow our economy for years to come. Now that this legislation has cleared one of the last key hurdles and is headed to the full Senate for a vote, I am urging my colleagues to pass this legislation to strengthen our manufacturing industry, especially here in New York.”
Senator Gillibrand’s bill would help the manufacturing industry in New York continue to grow by creating a permanent program to competitively award regions with the “Manufacturing Communities” designation. This designation would give these communities preferred consideration when applying for up to $1.3 billion in currently available federal economic development funding for manufacturing. This legislation encourages a regionally-driven approach to strengthening the manufacturing industry. To compete for funding through this program and to earn the “Manufacturing Communities” designation, communities would create regional partnerships with key stakeholders such as local and state economic development officials, local governments, manufacturers, labor organizations, and higher education or other training providers.
In order to earn the “Manufacturing Communities” designation, communities would demonstrate the significance of manufacturing in their region and develop strategies to use their “Manufacturing Communities” designation in making investments in six areas:
- Workforce training and retraining;
- Advanced research;
- Infrastructure and site development;
- Supply chain support;
- Promotion of exports and foreign direct investment; and
- Operational improvement and capital access for manufacturers that supports energy or process efficiency, equipment or facility upgrades, or the development of business incubators, among other activities.
Senator Gillibrand’s bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and a bipartisan House version was introduced by U.S. Representatives David Cicilline (D-RI), Tom Reed (R-NY), Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY).
This legislation has been endorsed by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Queens Chamber of Commerce, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Mohawk Valley EDGE (Economic Development Growth Enterprises Corporation), CenterState CEO, Center for Economic Growth, American Small Manufacturers Coalition, National Association of Development Organizations, Manufacturing Alliance of Communities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.