Trade

Phoenix, AZ. In advance of the White House meeting with President Biden and congressional leadership, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons, NAM Board Chair and Johnson & Johnson Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Operations & Risk Officer Kathy Wengel and NAM Board Vice Chair and Rockwell Automation Chairman and CEO Blake Moret released the following joint statement:

“For the strength of our democracy here at home and the protection of democracy around the world, manufacturers are calling on Congress and President Biden to act swiftly to keep the government open, pass pro-growth tax provisions, secure our border and approve urgently needed aid for Ukraine.

“Two years ago, the NAM Board unanimously passed a resolution ‘stand[ing] with the people of Ukraine in their fight to preserve freedom and independence.’ Last year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the NAM Board of Directors in an address to the American business community, where he underscored that ‘democracy is stronger than tyranny’ and reminded us of the importance of standing firm for our shared values.

“With time running short, manufacturers are looking to our leaders to act. They can address all of these priorities. In fact, they must address them all—for the future of our industry, the security of our country and the defense of democracy.”

Timmons echoed this message in remarks to the NAM Board this afternoon.

BACKGROUND:

On March 8, 2022, the NAM Board of Directors passed a resolution “stand[ing] with the people of Ukraine in their fight to preserve freedom and independence” and “reaffirm[ing] the commitment of this association and our industry to sustaining and safeguarding democracy and democratic institutions not only here at home, but also abroad.”

On Jan. 24, 2023, the NAM and the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize manufacturers’ commitment to supporting Ukraine, and the NAM and its member companies participated in a “Rebuilding Ukraine” roundtable with Ukrainian manufacturers and senior Ukrainian government officials.

Then, in March 2023, the NAM traveled to Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom for a series of meetings with international officials, government ministers, ambassadors, business association leaders and NAM member companies to strengthen alliances and underscore at every opportunity our support for Ukraine and democracy more generally.

-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 nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.85 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.