Building a Stronger America Act Made in America remains the gold standard around the world, but we need

to be smarter about retaining and expanding manufacturing jobs in the United States. Estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis show that the manufacturing sector creates approximately $1.40 of overall output for every $1 of manufacturing output. Today, only 12 percent of the U.S. private sector is employed in manufacturing. A 2010 study by economists Michael Greenstone, Rick Hornbeck and Enrico Moretti demonstrated that the location of a new manufacturing plant results in increased productivity of other firms in the region, not just in the plant and surrounding community itself. Capturing this force multiplier can leverage the growth and success of American businesses. A number of bipartisan Senate bills have been introduced in the 112th Congress that have common themes of strengthening the U.S. manufacturing sector, leveling the playing field for American companies, and enhancing trade opportunities for American products. As a package, they help Build a Stronger America. Strengthening the U.S. Manufacturing Sector The U.S. manufacturing sector is constantly upgrading its workforce, technology and processes to ensure the highest level of efficiencies and outputs. There is a place for the federal government to help facilitate this development. This section will incorporate existing legislative concepts that help the manufacturing sector build upon and improve existing job training, retention and expansion programs. These bills leverage federal and state grants as well as public-private partnerships. The initiatives would be targeted at areas with a current or projected workforce gap as well as those fields where innovation and future growth project the strongest return on investment. 1. S.665 (Sherrod Brown-Snowe) Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to award threeyear competitive industry or manufacturing sector grants to encourage industry growth and competitiveness and improved training, retention, and advancement in targeted industry clusters. 2. S.1247 (Warner) America Recruits Act would establish a grant program to States to encourage the in-sourcing of new manufacturing facilities. Also directs the Secretary of Commerce to ensure that industry-approved certification assessments and standards are established and available to providers of education and training programs in manufacturing and information technology. 3. S.1948 (Pryor-Wicker) - WIN Jobs Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Innovation in Investment pilot program to make competitive grants to business and higher education consortia that would expand workforce training in high-tech manufacturing and developing industries through public-private partnerships. Also,

directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a pilot program to expand the National Apprenticeship Act. Leveling the Playing Field U.S. exporters are held to the highest standards when doing business with foreign governments and the international community. This section would incorporate legislative concepts that improve U.S. import standards, ensuring that foreign exporters abide by the same standards as their domestic counterparts. 1. S.1133/H.R.3057 (Wyden-Blunt) - Enforcing Orders and Reducing Customs Evasion Act requires the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to establish procedures for investigating claims of evasion of anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders. 2. S.3274 (Kerry-Corker) - Global Investment in American Jobs Act requires the Secretary of Commerce to lead an interagency review and report of U.S. laws and policies on foreign direct investment and make recommendations to make the U.S. more competitive. The bill also includes a Sense of the Senate that it is a good idea for the U.S. to attract inbound investment by removing unnecessary barriers and promoting good polices to ensure the U.S. remains the premier destination for businesses. Enhancing Americas Trade and Export Programs Currently a multitude of federal agencies are tasked with enabling and accelerating the ability of domestic companies to export their products and services overseas. This section would incorporate legislation to help streamline the activities of the vast array of export promotion and facilitation agencies inside the executive branch. 1. S.2171 (Pryor-Blunt) Export Promotion Act updates the duties of the Department of Commerce Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) to improve the coordination of export promotion activities within the United States in order to target and develop new export markets for U.S. products. 2. S.3218 (Shaheen-Ayotte) Small Business Export Growth Act revises membership of the TPCC to include one member that represents state agencies with responsibility for export promotion and export financing. The bill also requires reports for improving access about export information (including state resources) on the Export.gov website and for developing a single website for complying with and disseminating information about U.S. export control laws and regulations.