News & Insights

With the House’s passage of landmark legislation that preserves pro-manufacturing tax policies, the NAM has achieved a crowning victory after nearly a decade of nonstop advocacy.

• This achievement is “the result of years of serious, sincere partnership between our nation’s manufacturers and our elected leaders,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.
• “From the shop floors of small businesses to the headquarters of global companies, from plant managers and line workers to members of Congress and the administration, this achievement reflects what’s possible when policymakers choose to work with manufacturers.”

The first time around: During his first term, President Trump laid out his vision for tax reform at an NAM board meeting in 2017, and the NAM’s and manufacturers’ tireless efforts helped make that vision a reality in the form of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

• Following the passage of the 2017 law, manufacturers made huge investments in their workforces, facilities and communities, as well as in innovation and research and development.
• The numbers tell the tale: in 2018, manufacturing in the United States achieved its best year in job creation in more than two decades, the best wage growth in 15 years and impressive growth in capital spending, which increased by 4.5% in 2018 and by 5.7% in 2019, as NAM research showed.
• Scores of manufacturers spoke out about the transformative effects of tax reform after it went into effect, in an NAM series titled “Keeping Our Promises.”

The second time: These crucial tax provisions began phasing out starting in 2022, threatening manufacturers’ investments and plans for future growth. So the NAM never stopped its advocacy, laying the groundwork for legislation that would make these important reforms permanent.

• While still a nominee, President Trump spoke at the NAM board meeting again in fall 2024, reaffirming his commitment to his signature legislation and to the manufacturing industry itself.
• Immediately after the 2024 election, the NAM began working closely with the new Trump administration and Congress, unrelentingly promoting manufacturers’ priorities and ensuring that today’s legislative victory would take place.

The NAM retakes the stage: Among the NAM’s many advocacy activities in the past several months—too many to list here—were hundreds of meetings with lawmakers and administration officials, dozens of elected officials hosted on shop floors around the country, thousands of messages and articles, several large-scale ad campaigns and daily social media advocacy and engagement with the White House’s own social media team.

• This effort, known as the “Manufacturing Wins” campaign, highlighted the words and experiences of shop floor workers, plant managers, executives and state and local partners nationwide.
• The NAM also revisited its “Keeping Our Promises” series in a recent report, in which the same manufacturers who spoke out years ago highlight the considerable increases in investments and growth they have seen since then.

Highlighting costs: The NAM also released a celebrated and widely cited study with EY about the costs of letting tax reform lapse, showing lawmakers that these would include 5.9 million lost jobs, a $540 billion reduction in employee compensation and a $1.1 trillion shortfall in U.S. GDP.

• In a high point of its advocacy campaign, several top congressional leaders joined the NAM at an event on Capitol Hill spotlighting the study, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID).

Stepping into the spotlight: NAM member companies testified at more than a half dozen congressional hearings on tax reform, highlighting the manufacturing sector’s need for pro-growth tax policy.

• Witnesses included NAM Small and Medium Manufacturers Group Chair Karl Hutter (Click Bond), NAM SMM Vice Chair Austin Ramirez (Husco), NAM SMM Immediate Past Chair Courtney Silver (Ketchie), NAM Board Member Lisa Winton (Winton Machine), NAM Executive Committee Member Chuck Wetherington (BTE Technologies), Steve Sukup (Sukup Manufacturing) and Tom Tredway (Erie Molded Packaging).

Never give up: In April, the NAM partnered with Majority Whip Emmer, Chairman Smith and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent along with a dozen members of the Ways and Means Committee to host more than a dozen manufacturers to ensure policymakers’ focus remained on bill passage.

The final push: In the past week leading up to the final votes, manufacturers made an unforgettable impact on lawmakers, with nearly 50 shop floor workers flying into Washington, D.C., to visit Capitol Hill offices in person and meet with Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender.

• Many more signed an important letter to Senate and House leaders—with a total of 300 executives giving voice to the industry’s needs.

The win: Today, all that effort—thousands of hours spent by thousands of people at every level of the manufacturing industry throughout the country—has finally paid off.

• “Manufacturers are especially grateful to President Trump, Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise, Majority Whip Emmer, Conference Chair McClain and Ways and Means Chairman Smith for their steadfast leadership,” Timmons said.
• “Their commitment to our industry—and to the men and women who make things in America—was essential to get this done. They listened to manufacturers, stood by us and delivered real results.”

The NAM looks ahead: “To invest in manufacturing is to invest in America—in communities in every state and of every size,” Timmons continued.

• “While this bill passed on a party-line vote, manufacturers all across America, in red states and blue states, swing districts and safe districts, look forward to putting people to work, more factories into motion, more innovation into the market, more products onto our shelves and more prosperity into our communities. Taken together, this strengthens the hand of the United States on the world stage. That’s exactly what this bill helps to deliver.”
• “This Congress and this administration understand that a stronger manufacturing sector means a stronger America. We will continue to work with our nation’s leaders to realize and celebrate the benefits of a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that includes not only further tax reforms but also trade, energy, workforce development and modernized regulations.”
• “Because one of the greatest investments our leaders can make for the American people is an investment in manufacturing—the industry that powers our shared prosperity.”

If you’re part of an NAM member company and not yet subscribed, email us. If you’re not an NAM member, become one today. Interested in becoming a presenter of Input? Email us. You received this email because you signed up for the NAM’s morning newsletter as a part of your NAM membership. Photos courtesy of Getty and/or David Bohrer/NAM. .fa { padding: 20px; font-size: 30px; width: 30px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 50%; } .fa:hover { opacity: 0.7; } .fa-facebook { background: #3B5998; color: white; } .fa-twitter { background: #55ACEE; color: white; } .fa-linkedin { background: #007bb5; color: white; } .fa-youtube { background: #bb0000; color: white; } .fa-instagram { background: #125688; color: white; } <!—->   © 2025 National Association of Manufacturers
733 10th St NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001 Manage my email newsletters and alerts | Unsubscribe @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) { #_t::before {content:url(‘https://osvnsm1u.emltrk.com/v2/osvnsm1u?rd&i=[CONTACT-ID]&t=772410’);}} @media (prefers-color-scheme: light) { #_t::before {content:url(‘https://osvnsm1u.emltrk.com/v2/osvnsm1u?rl&i=[CONTACT-ID]&t=772410’);}} @media print{ #_t {background-image:url(‘https://osvnsm1u.emltrk.com/v2/osvnsm1u?p&i=[CONTACT-ID]&t=772410’);}} div.OutlookMessageHeader {background-image:url(‘https://osvnsm1u.emltrk.com/v2/osvnsm1u?f&i=[CONTACT-ID]&t=772410’)} table.moz-email-headers-table {background-image:url(‘https://osvnsm1u.emltrk.com/v2/osvnsm1u?f&i=[CONTACT-ID]&t=772410’)} blockquote #_t {background-image:url(‘https://osvnsm1u.emltrk.com/v2/osvnsm1u?f&i=[CONTACT-ID]&t=772410’)} #MailContainerBody #_t {background-image:url(‘https://osvnsm1u.emltrk.com/v2/osvnsm1u?f&i=[CONTACT-ID]&t=772410’)} </div