Input Stories

As manufacturers build and expand U.S. facilities and data centers spring up around the country, investing in modernizing America’s infrastructure has never been more urgent, according to CRH Americas Division President Nathan Creech—especially as dedicated federal transportation funds are set to expire in September.

By the numbers: “Industrial facilities—dozens of which are being stood up each month—generate up to 163 times more daily traffic than residential neighborhoods. Heavy commercial vehicles, the backbone of modern supply chains, cause up to 1,400 times more pavement damage than passenger cars. Modern fulfillment centers generate five times more traffic than traditional warehouses,” Creech wrote in the Washington Reporter this month.

• “Every factory America builds, and every supply chain we onshore, places even greater demands on roads and bridges that are already stretched to their limits,” he warned.

The price of disrepair: “The repair costs our nation faces are equally unforgiving. Nearly half of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, with a funding gap approaching $1 trillion over the next decade,” wrote Creech.

• “This poor infrastructure costs the average motorist $725 annually in vehicle damage and lost time—a hidden tax on working Americans, paid year after year in visits to the mechanic, high-volume traffic and endless frustration.”
• By contrast, “Every dollar spent on roads and bridge modernization generates $1.50 to $3.50 in economic activity.”

The policy prescription: The next infrastructure bill should be more focused than previous efforts, Creech advised policymakers, prioritizing the maintenance and modernization of existing roads and bridges. He also stressed the importance of streamlining the permitting process, enabling more infrastructure projects to get going faster.

The last word: “We cannot build a 21st-century economy on 20th-century roads. Without decisive action, our efforts to reindustrialize America will overwhelm the roads, highways and bridges across the country that were designed for a previous era,” Creech concluded.

• “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, what better way to invest in the future of our great nation than to rebuild the roads and bridges that form the backbone of America.”

The NAM says: “Better infrastructure fuels greater manufacturing output, and greater manufacturing output drives the need for continued infrastructure investment, growing our economy. Simply put, an investment in our infrastructure is an investment in manufacturing,” said NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen.

The House advanced a bill yesterday that would extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, an important safeguard for manufacturers and other businesses (Insurance Journal).

The background: “A federal backstop for terrorism risk was first initiated late in 2002 by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act to respond to insurers’ exclusions of terrorism risks from commercial property/casualty insurance policies following losses from 9/11.”

• The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) and cosponsored by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), would extend the terrorism insurance program for seven years. The House Financial Services Committee voted 51-2 on Thursday to advance this bill to the House floor.

NAM in action: The NAM is a member of the Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism, a group of commercial insurance consumers from many sectors, which supports the extension. This week, the coalition sent a letter to committee leaders urging them to advance this legislation.

• “For more than 20 years—and through multiple reauthorizations—Congress has recognized TRIA’s essential role in sustaining a viable terrorism risk insurance market,” the coalition said.
• “This seven-year reauthorization will provide long-term certainty for that marketplace. Acting in 2026 will also prevent the uncertainty and potential market disruptions that have occurred when reauthorization extends into the final year of an existing authorization.”

The NAM says: After the bill was approved, the NAM wrote on social media: “Manufacturers thank [the committee] for passing H.R. 7128, by Rep. Mike Flood, to extend the TRIA program, providing much-needed certainty to businesses by ensuring they can continue to obtain insurance against acts of terrorism.”

Other advances: The Financial Services Committee also advanced legislation that would repeal the Securities and Exchange Commission’s conflict minerals rule, another NAM priority.

• In response, NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain wrote, “The SEC’s conflict minerals rule is a costly corporate disclosure mandate that diverts the resources of manufacturers from important investments in R&D, new equipment and jobs. Manufacturers thank the committee and Rep. [Bill] Huizenga [R-MI] for advancing H.R. 7085 to repeal this burdensome rule.”
• The committee also approved H.R. 6967, a bipartisan bill introduced by Reps. Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), to establish a Public Company Advisory Committee at the SEC to represent the views of companies.
• “Manufacturers thank Reps. Lucas and Pettersen for their leadership to facilitate capital formation with the creation of a committee at the SEC that will give publicly traded manufacturers a greater voice in rulemaking and SEC priorities,” Crain wrote on social media.

Manufacturers have been closely involved in the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act, and they know how it ought to be revised and improved, the NAM told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment this week.

Why it matters: “The responsible use and management of chemicals is critical for manufacturers because it directly affects the safety of workers in facilities, consumers of products being made and the communities in which facilities operate,” the NAM said.

Why now? The TSCA’s fee authority, established in 2016 under the bipartisan Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, expires in September. The fee authority supports the Environmental Protection Agency’s expanded responsibility under the Lautenberg Amendments for approving chemistries used by manufacturers throughout the supply chain.

• Policymakers are considering reforming the TSCA alongside renewing the fee authority, and the subcommittee held a hearing about draft legislation on Thursday.

What Congress should do: Along with reauthorizing the fee authority, policymakers should make the following improvements to the TSCA, the NAM recommended:

• Improve timeliness and predictability of review processes so regulated entities can plan investments and compliance with confidence
• Ensure a risk-based approach that reflects real-world exposure and use conditions, uses sound science and transparent assumptions and ensures decisions are durable and defensible
• Support effective and efficient coordination across federal programs to reduce duplicative requirements and support meaningful regulatory outcomes

The last word: “Manufacturers strongly support the Energy and Commerce Committee’s efforts to improve the TSCA while extending TSCA fee authority,” said NAM Director of Chemicals, Materials and Sustainability Policy Reagan Giesenschlag and NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen.

• “Targeted improvements that enhance program efficiency, predictability and certainty will help unlock manufacturing investment, strengthen domestic supply chains and support American competitiveness—while continuing to protect public health and the environment.”

The NAM has long advocated for pharmacy benefit manager reform, a top health care priority for manufacturers. Crucial NAM-supported PBM priorities were included in the spending bill that passed the House yesterday by a wide bipartisan margin (Fierce Healthcare).

What it does: The bill—which arrives as a Jan. 30 funding deadline looms—delinks PBM compensation from medicine list prices in Medicare and bans spread pricing in Medicaid.

• PBM reform is a longtime top priority of the NAM, and lawmakers have been working on a compromise on the issue for months.
• Also in the bill are PBM reforms for commercial plans—including needed transparency provisions, which will help manufacturers better manage and predict health care costs, and full rebate passthrough, which will return resources to manufacturers and put money back into the pockets of their employees.

The NAM says: The NAM drove the inclusion of PBM reform in the package, writing to House and Senate leaders (and highlighting the issue on social media).

• The NAM told policymakers that “Seventy percent of manufacturers cited health care and insurance costs as their primary business concern in the NAM’s most recent Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey. Increased costs are impacting small and medium-sized manufacturers disproportionately, with 77.3% of small (fewer than 50 employees) and 76.6% of medium-sized (50 to 499 employees) companies identifying health care costs as their top concern.”
• “Manufacturers … greatly appreciate the timely inclusion of solutions in H.R. 7148 to address this critical issue. The NAM looks forward to continuing its work with Congress to ensure manufacturers of all sizes can continue offering health insurance to their workers, and their families, who work hard every day to power the American economy.”

Following the CMA 2026 Winter Leadership Conference, the NAM announced new leadership for its Council of Manufacturing Associations. Corey Rosenbusch, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute, will take over as chair, and Kelly Mariotti, president and CEO of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, will serve as vice chair.

The background: The CMA is made up of over 200 industry-specific manufacturing associations representing 130,000 companies and works with the NAM to build partnership and collaboration across the manufacturing industry and larger business community.

What they’re saying: “Manufacturers are doing what we’ve always done: pioneering innovation, powering the economy and responding to dynamic markets,” said Rosenbusch.

• “There’s no better time to be in manufacturing, and I’m thrilled—and honored—to lead the CMA as manufacturers navigate a new era in our industry. The mission of the CMA has never been more important. I hope that in this position I can illustrate the vital role manufacturing plays across every segment of the U.S. economy.”

The NAM says: “Corey and Kelly are proven, respected leaders, and both of them have demonstrated a deep dedication to the CMA’s mission and growth,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

• “I’m grateful they’ve agreed to step into these leadership roles during a pivotal time for our industry. With Corey and Kelly’s partnership, manufacturers will build on our momentum after our recent success in securing pro-growth tax reform—and we will advance a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that unlocks opportunities for every sector represented in the CMA and for every manufacturer across the United States.”

Other appointments: The CMA also appointed new members to the 2026 board:

• Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO, National Marine Manufacturers Association
• Matt Seaholm, president and CEO, The Plastics Industry Association
• Megan Tanel, president and CEO, Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Permitting reform, reliable power sources and what’s next for U.S. energy were the topics of the day on a recent episode of the GPA Midstream Association’s “Let’s Clear the Air” podcast featuring NAM Director of Energy and Resources Policy Mike Davin.

What’s going on: “Under the previous administration, we saw what we call an onslaught of regulatory activity,” Davin told show hosts Stuart Saulters, Adam Murray and Bryan Nix on the episode titled “Peanut Butter, Steel and Semiconductors Share the Same Problem with NAM’s Mike Davin.”

• “[W]ith this new administration, we’ve seen a lot of great progress and appreciate their focus and emphasis on the regulatory landscape.”
• But revising the process by which manufacturers obtain permits for their energy and infrastructure projects—and shortening the length of time it takes—is a continued NAM priority, Davin said, and one on which the organization, in collaboration with legislators, continues to work.

Energy dominance: “When President Trump came in, he set up the National Energy Dominance Council—really putting an emphasis on not just energy security or energy independence, but energy dominance,” Davin said.

• Its goal is “to unleash our members to be able to produce, to be able to use, to be able to contribute to a more energy-secure country. Because if we’re able to control our destiny with energy, that helps us address problems or challenges … with data center growth, greater utilization of artificial intelligence.”
• To achieve that dominance as well as dominance in AI, Davin went on, the NAM has said we need four “pillars”: permitting reform; increased energy production and efficiency; grid reliability, affordability and resiliency; and the right regulatory environment.

What’s next? With investments in workforce development and forward movement on permitting reform in 2026, “the sky’s the limit” for where manufacturers in the U.S. could be a year from now, Davin said.

• In January 2027, “I would love to come back and say, ‘We got what we needed and now we’re rolling up our sleeves and we’re getting to work.’”

With just six months before the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement’s review, NAM advocacy has kicked into high gear. NAM experts took a trip to Mexico City last week for a flurry of high-level trade talks and events.

The visit: The NAM traveled to Mexico City for the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2) Regional Roundtable, co-led by the U.S. Trade Representative, which featured U.S. government staff, international officials, academics and industry representatives discussing the future of a digitized customs process.

• Following the event, the NAM delegation—which included NAM Director of International Policy Kevin Doyle and NAM Senior Director of International Policy Anne Collett—took part in multiple USMCA-related events to share the policy priorities of manufacturers in the U.S.

The details: The events included a roundtable hosted by the American Chemistry Council and its Mexican and Canadian counterparts, a government–industry talk with the North American Strategy for Competitiveness hosted by the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City and a panel discussion with the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico.

Out of the spotlight: The NAM also engaged in discussions with Mexican officials and trade organizations.

• These included conversations with business association CONCAMIN and representatives for the Mexican business community as well as senior officials in the Mexican Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The NAM also visited the newly opened U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to meet with U.S. officials on the ground in Mexico, as well as a visiting delegation of senators and members of Parliament from Canada.

Manufacturers’ voice: Throughout the trip, the NAM highlighted top trade priorities for manufacturers, including strengthening and improving the USMCA and ensuring manufacturers can secure critical industrial inputs to power factory floors across the U.S.

Mergers and acquisitions in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industry are critically important to the development and manufacturing of new treatments, the NAM said at a House Judiciary Committee staff briefing Wednesday.

To incentivize innovation that helps patients and strengthens the American economy, U.S. antitrust policies must preserve M&A—a critical pathway for drug development.

What’s going on: The life sciences industry, and drug development in particular, is unique among sectors, as 90% of drugs that enter trials never get approved. M&A is a key avenue for biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies seeking to bring new treatments to patients, NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain, who moderated the discussion, told the audience.

M&A to the rescue: M&A activity—typically when one company acquires another—provides the financial resources and expertise needed to commercialize new drugs, according to a recent study co-authored by Dr. Anand Krishnamurthy, an economist and principal at Cornerstone Research and a panelist at the event.

• “We find that drug projects that undergo M&A have a higher likelihood of launching relative to drug products that do not,” the study reads, in part.
• During the briefing, representatives from Life Sciences Pennsylvania and BioNJ recounted how larger companies have helped life sciences startups in their states obtain regulatory approval and deliver novel treatments to patients.

Why they work: Early-stage life sciences firms frequently depend on outside investment to bring new drugs through the lengthy clinical stage process, Crain said.

• “M&A acts as an anticipated exit point for investors in these startups and is critical to attracting this funding,” he said, adding that it also “allows the companies to more freely pursue groundbreaking therapeutic innovation.”

Without M&A in life sciences: Policies that hamstring this crucial funding mechanism in the life sciences could derail innovation, potentially damaging people’s health and costing lives down the line. For the life sciences industry, that is simply too high of a price.

At Oskaloosa Middle School in Iowa, the future of manufacturing is taking shape today. The Quest for the Crystal of Innovation (also known as the Innovators Quest)—a gamified experience that introduces students to modern manufacturing careers—is engaging students in hands-on challenges in robotics, circuitry and teamwork.

In an age where classrooms increasingly rely on digital learning, this active, physical experience helped some students uncover new strengths and interests—potentially leading to careers that will last a lifetime.

The quest: Developed by the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education affiliate, thanks to a grant from American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Innovators Quest is made up of four “realms” laid out in a board game format.

• These realms include hands-on building challenges that introduce students to core manufacturing skills, like problem-solving, teamwork and communication.
• As they seek to recover the “Crystal of Innovation,” students in grades 4 through 9 try their hands at 3D printing, robotics and other cutting-edge manufacturing concepts.

Manufacturers’ involvement: Manufacturers, associations, workforce partners and community engagement groups can sponsor Innovators Quest kits, which they can use at schools, summer camps, local community events, MFG Day events, company family days and more.

• By facilitating the experience, manufacturers serve as the connector between Innovators Quest and real-world manufacturing.

The reception: “It’s been fun to see the ones who really light up,” said Kristen McMains, talent outreach specialist at Musco Lighting, who brought the experience to Oskaloosa’s classroom. “Teachers have told us, ‘That student doesn’t usually engage like this,’ and suddenly, they’re the one leading their group.”

• “I learned that I’m pretty good with wires and building stuff,” said Kolter Ozinga, an 8th grader who participated in the experience. “I like electrical work and teamwork.”

The big picture: Innovators Quest comes at a critical time for the manufacturing workforce. A 2024 study by the MI and Deloitte projected that as many as 1.9 million manufacturing jobs could be left unfilled by 2033, when current 5th graders will be graduating high school. Today’s youth could be key to filling this talent gap—if they know the careers are out there.

• “Kids can’t be what they can’t see,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “By sparking their interest in skills used in modern manufacturing, this student engagement activity illustrates the limitless possibilities of the many careers in our industry. The time to invest in our future workforce is now.”

Get involved: Interested in bringing Innovators Quest to your community? The MI is accepting orders for Innovators Quest kits through Jan. 31. Learn more about the kit and place your order today.

The Bethesda, Maryland–based Centrus Energy Corp. will get an injection of $900 million from the Department of Energy to expand enrichment operations at its Ohio and Tennessee facilities (OilPrice.com).

What’s going on: The U.S.-owned, U.S.-controlled uranium enrichment company announced earlier this month that it had been chosen by the DOE for a $900 million task order to build out its enrichment and centrifuge manufacturing capabilities at its facilities located in Piketon, Ohio, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

• “The competitively awarded funding will support a previously announced multibillion-dollar expansion that includes commercial-scale production of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), a critical fuel for next-generation nuclear reactors, alongside additional production of conventional low-enriched uranium (LEU) for the existing reactor fleet.”
• Centrus has already begun adding to its workforce in anticipation of the project, which is forecast to create about 1,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs in Ohio and hundreds of new direct jobs in Tennessee.

Why it’s important: There is growing bipartisan support to shore up domestic uranium enrichment to power nuclear reactors.

• Russia remains a dominant global supplier of enrichment capacity, particularly for HALEU, which has become a strategic vulnerability as advanced reactor projects move closer to deployment.

NAM involvement: The NAM is one of the foremost advocates for strengthening nuclear power in the U.S. Last year, the NAM pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to allocate this funding to spur “the Department of Energy’s collaboration with the private sector to restore American leadership in producing nuclear fuel.” Timmons cited Centrus as an important example and urged further investment in the domestic nuclear supply chain.

The details: Under the DOE order, Centrus will install additional centrifuge cascades to increase HALEU output and produce LEU feedstock for those cascades, as well as expand LEU volumes for commercial utilities and support national security mandates.

• The first of the new capacity will come in 2029, the company said.
• In addition to the $900 million, the task order includes possible funding, at the DOE’s discretion, of up to $170 million for HALEU production and delivery, bringing the total potential value to about $1.07 billion.

The NAM says: “Increasing domestic supplies of nuclear fuel will help the U.S. boost its output of nuclear power, which is crucial for manufacturers to continue to access stable, clean and abundant baseload power in the U.S.,” said NAM Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin.

• “Domestic sources of nuclear fuel and secure supply chains will also allow the U.S. to avoid relying on foreign adversaries to fuel its nuclear fleet.”