Regulatory and Legal Reform

Washington, D.C. – Today, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons briefed members of the media on manufacturers’ response to COVID-19. Timmons detailed the NAM’s coordinated effort with federal, state and local officials to provide COVID-19 supplies and how manufacturers are stepping up to provide key medical supplies and resources to keep Americans safe and healthy.

Timmons also highlighted many NAM priorities included in the Senate-passed stimulus package and reiterated the need for state and local officials to deem the manufacturing supply chain as essential.

“It’s been said that this is like a war. And in World War II, we were the arsenal of democracy. Today, manufacturers are called to arm our health care workers in the battle with this deadly virus,” said Timmons. “But it goes beyond the front lines at the hospital. Our grocery stores must be stocked. Our electricity must keep running. Our devices must keep us connected. Our lives may be socially distant, but life goes on. And that means manufacturers must keep making daily life possible.”

Key Wins in Senate-Passed Stimulus Package:

“The Senate acted boldly and approved its COVID-19 relief bill. We’ve been working for weeks to ensure many of manufacturers’ key priorities were included. The bill also takes key steps from the NAM plan by increasing the maximum amount of tax deductions for interest on business loans and by creating an incentive, through loan forgiveness, for small manufacturers to retain their employees during this crisis. Quite frankly, with 90% of our members being small businesses, I think this is one of the most critical parts of the legislation.”

Manufacturers’ Response to COVID-19:

“Manufacturers are stepping up to supply desperately needed health care equipment, repurpose their facilities, supply the essentials for daily life and keep our employees and communities safe.”

“Take, for example, Marlin Steel in Baltimore, a wire products manufacturer. Last Friday, they received an emergency order to make wire racks for test tubes for COVID-19 testing. They hadn’t made test-tube racks before but volunteered to work all weekend to get it done, and they shipped out by Sunday afternoon. That’s the kind of story we’re hearing over and over across the country, on a large and small scale.” 

Overwhelming Support from Manufacturers in Providing Medical Supplies:

• A manufacturer provided 75,000 gloves, 3,000 Tyvek suits and nearly 20,000 face masks that were sent to New York City.
• Another company supplied 225,000 gowns and 224,250 over-the-shoe booties to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• The NAM also helped facilitate one manufacturer’s ability to provide 38 million gloves to FEMA and other critical medical destinations.

Over the past few days, the NAM has seen:

• 116 companies provide gloves;
• 106 companies provide protectives units; and
• 116 companies provide over-the-shoe booties

On the Defense Production Act:

“Manufacturers are producing as much as we possibly can, and whether the DPA is in effect or not, you know, manufacturers aren’t going to be compelled to do the right thing because we already are. That said, if there is a way for DPA to be helpful, for instance… but the fact of the matter is manufacturers are doing everything we can every single day to meet the significant needs for personal protective equipment medical supplies.”

On the Media:

“I want to thank everybody in the media for the crucial role that you’re playing. I realize that these are tough times. I realize that these are times when tempers flare, but there is no more important freedom that we enjoy than the First Amendment to our Constitution, and I want to personally thank you on behalf of the nation’s 13 million manufacturers and their families. I want to thank you for all you do to protect our nation’s freedoms and to get the news and the word out.”

To watch the full video of the remarks, click here.

–NAM–

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.37 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.