Make It In America
In 2022, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Democrats unveiled the new Make It In America plan to create jobs and expand economic opportunity. With too many Americans only getting by instead of getting ahead, the plan focuses on four key areas where Congress can be a partner in creating the best conditions for the growth of jobs and opportunities. They are: education, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and supply chain resilience. Twenty-two bipartisan Make It In America bills have now been enacted into law, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 and the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022.
To read Leader Hoyer’s remarks on the updated Make It In America plan, click here. For more information on the goals and policy recommendations included in the Make It In America plan, click here.
First launched by Leader Hoyer in 2010 when our economic recovery from the 2008 global financial crisis was just beginning, the Make It In America plan has been focused on gathering the best ideas and transforming them into policies that Congress can enact to help workers and businesses succeed. The plan has brought together bipartisan policies and legislation aimed at promoting economic growth, the creation of jobs that won’t be outsourced, and building a competitive workforce that can access opportunities in today’s changing global economy.
Recognizing the many changes that took place during our recovery, House Democrats held a series of hearings in 2015 called “Make It In America: What’s Next?” to explore new challenges and new opportunities in our economy. During the hearing series, seventy-seven House Democrats heard testimony from innovators, entrepreneurs, economists, Members of Congress, and others about how the Make It In America plan should be updated to address new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. Click here for a look at testimony from the hearings. It was in these hearings that House Democrats identified the three original areas on which Congress ought to focus: education, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure.
Understanding that the best ideas would come from outside of Washington, Leader Hoyer and House Democrats embarked on the Make It In America Listening Tour starting in 2017, visiting nine cities across the country to hear directly from Americans about the challenges they face and identifying best practices in meeting them. The ideas shared on this tour informed the 2018 update to the Make It In America plan.
As we continue our financial recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Make It In America agenda is responding to the challenges of today’s economy with the inclusion of a fourth pillar, supply chain resilience, which joins MIIA’s existing pillars of education, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure to serve as an effective playbook to expand American families’ and businesses’ access to the tools they need to succeed in our twenty-first century global economy
U.S. manufacturing grew at its fastest pace in six months in December, and producers appeared poised to keep boosting output to replenish empty shelves in coming months.
For the first time in many years, manufacturing stands out as an area of strength in the American economy.
As we look back on the first session of the 112th Congress, it’s clear that Republicans have taken little action on Americans top priorities: job creation, economic growth, and deficit reduction. With Christmas just a couple of weeks away and millions of children sending their Christmas lists to Santa, Democrats have put together our own wish list for next year.
Manufacturing is central to our jobs recovery and long-term economic prosperity, and President Obama has long recognized this. By appointing Commerce Secretary John Bryson and National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling to co-chair the White House Office of Manufacturing Policy, the President again demonstrates his commitment to expanding U.S. manufacturing. House Democrats have been focused on creating jobs and strengthening manufacturing through our Make It In America plan, and I hope Republicans in Congress will work with us to take legislative steps to bolster our manufacturing sector in the months ahead.
I continue to urge the Republican leadership to work with us to avoid expirations of unemployment insurance benefits, the payroll tax holiday, and the Medicare physician payment rate. Unless we act, millions of Americans who are looking for work will lose the ability to support themselves and their families when unemployment insurance benefits begin expiring at the end of the year.
Our economy added 140,000 private sector jobs in November, the twenty-first consecutive month of growth, and we saw our unemployment rate fall from 9% to 8.6%. These are further positive signs for our recovery, but as long as Republicans continue to avoid passing a real jobs plan we will be unable to achieve the kind of significant job creation we need.
I commend Ranking Member Rahall and other Transportation Committee Democrats for unveiling a bill today that will promote job creation and help more families Make It In America by requiring that infrastructure projects use American-made products. In order to create jobs and remain competitive in the global economy, we need to revitalize our roads, runways and bridges. At a time when too many Americans remain out of work, there is no reason why the materials to build these projects should not come from right here at home, in a manner consistent with our international obligations.
While the Republican sponsors of the two bills before us contend they will create jobs, their claim is spurious. Economists have told us again and again that easing regulations has a negligible effect on job creation. The only thing these bills will do is make it harder for federal agencies to protect Americans through safety standards and environmental protections. One of the bills adds 35 pages to what is currently a 45 page law, and is likely to add 21 to 39 months to the rulemaking process. Agencies will be tied in knots and leave businesses without the certainty they need.
With millions of Americans struggling to find work, Democrats are urging House Republicans to work with us on an extension of emergency unemployment benefits before they expire at the end of this year. With 6.5 million fewer jobs in the economy today than when the recession began and over four people seeking employment for every open position available, it’s clear our economy and millions of unemployed Americans are depending on an extension of these benefits.
This week, House Republicans will continue pursuing partisan legislation that will not create jobs or boost our economy. Rather than putting forward a comprehensive jobs plan, Republicans are wasting time on bills that have nothing to do with jobs and undermine critical consumer and environmental protections.