The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2012 (H.R.5865), sponsored by Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), is scheduled to be considered on the House floor this week and is expected to pass without much objection.

The bill would direct the President, in each of 2014 and 2018, to submit to Congress and publish on a public website a strategy to promote growth, sustainability, and competitiveness in the nation's manufacturing sector, create well-paid, stable jobs, enable innovation and investment, and support national security.

Among other things, the bill would establish an American Manufacturing Competitiveness Board to: (1) advise the President and Congress on issues affecting the nation's manufacturing sector; (2) conduct a comprehensive analysis of such sector; and (3) develop a national manufacturing competitiveness strategy. Requires the Board to: (1) issue a preliminary report on the state of American manufacturing, and (2) conduct a comprehensive analysis of the nation's manufacturing sector.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) has long called for the establishment of a national manufacturing strategy to help revitalize America's industrial base.  H.R.5865 offers a helpful step in that direction.

Last year, AAM Executive Director Scott Paul testified in support of a manufacturing strategy before a Joint Economic Committee Hearing.  Click here to read his testimony, "Manufacturing in the USA: Why We Need a National Manufacturing Strategy?"

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