In an op-ed published yesterday in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kent Hughes, director of the Program on America and the Global Economy at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC discusses why he believes it is crucial that the U.S. “get back to the business of making things.”

Hughes argues that manufacturing is a "vital pillar of the U.S. economy, a critical symbol of American innovation, and a central component for job creation and national security” and that  “It has a key role in the nation's future.”

In the same vein as Andy Grove’s interview with MIT last week, Hughes points out that a depleted manufacturing base isn’t just bad for our economy—it impedes our ability to innovate and compete with other emerging tech markets:

“Manufacturing and innovation are closely intertwined, with two-thirds of our research and development spending in the private sector. Manufacturers turn innovations from our universities and national laboratories into commercial products, driving growth, attracting investment, and creating jobs. Without a robust and diversified domestic manufacturing base, too many American innovations will be commercialized overseas.”

As Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) Executive Directot Scott Paul communicated in an op-ed in The Hill last week, Hughes believes that  “the federal government is deadlocked on many issues, but manufacturing provides an area where Congress and President Obama can come together to grow our economy and stimulate job creation.”

Click here to read more about the immediate steps Congress and the administration can take to create jobs.