Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement in response to President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address:

“President Biden rightly celebrated the significant growth and job creation that manufacturers have achieved in these past two years. Indeed, more manufacturing jobs have been created in the first two years of the Biden administration than at any point since the Reagan administration. Like his recent predecessors, he recognizes manufacturing’s vital role in our economy and our country. America’s success and leadership depend on a strong, competitive manufacturing industry.

“The President should be commended for the historic, bipartisan accomplishments of the past two years—including the infrastructure law and the CHIPS and Science Act. These measures are already making life better and spurring new manufacturing jobs. We agree with President Biden that there is now an urgent need to build on that progress by tackling immigration reform in a smart, bipartisan way. There are millions of people ready to work in the U.S., and manufacturers have hundreds of thousands of unfilled jobs. Not only is the broken immigration system creating a border crisis, but it is also standing in the way of a stronger economy for every American.

“However, the President misses the mark in not recognizing that the historic tax reforms of 2017 and the previous administration’s efforts to promote regulatory certainty helped lay the foundation for the recent success in creating jobs, increasing investment and raising wages. Instead of the Biden administration’s misguided suggestions for restrictions on pharmaceutical innovation and for destructive tax increases, Congress should immediately reinstate critical tax deductions for the costs of research, machinery purchases and key business investments. Restoring these tools is essential to keep up the pace of manufacturing job creation and to out-innovate and outcompete China. And to truly unleash manufacturing investment, fully realize the potential of the infrastructure law and achieve energy security in America, we need a smarter, balanced approach to regulations and significant permitting reform so that projects don’t languish for years in a bureaucratic mess just waiting for government approvals. After all, manufacturers are already making great strides in reducing emissions. Now is not the time to add top-down air regulations that will cost us jobs and snarl supply chains.

“The State of the Union address is one of the sacred traditions of our democracy. And as we approach the one-year mark of Russia’s war on Ukraine, we are reminded just how precious those traditions and our institutions are. Democracy is the foundation of the values that keep our industry strong and have made America exceptional—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity. And that is why manufacturers stand firm in our belief that democracy must be respected, protected and defended at home and abroad.”

Background: The NAM’s “Competing to Win” policy agenda for manufacturing competitiveness can be found here. Its in-depth proposal for immigration reform, “A Way Forward,” is available here. In the NAM’s most recent Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, two-thirds of manufacturers said that immigration reform should be a priority for the 118th Congress.

-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 $2.81 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.

Washington, D.C. – This week, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs co-hosted “Rebuilding Ukraine: Inaugural Conference of Manufacturers in the U.S. and Ukraine.” The conference was led by NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons and ULIE President Anatolii Kinakh.

“Manufacturers have demonstrated their unwavering support for Ukraine and denounced Russian aggression,” said Timmons. “Manufacturers in the U.S. have a long and proud history of standing firm in support of democracy, the rule of law, transparency, freedom and opportunity. We stand with President Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people as they defend those values and as they work to rebuild their country in the years ahead.”

Also participating were senior Ukrainian government officials and manufacturers, as well as NAM member companies with a presence in Ukraine and the U.S. During the meeting, Kinakh thanked the U.S. for its comprehensive support of Ukraine, including through the providing of defense arms, funding and other aspects.

“This is the first business conference of Ukraine and the U.S. on such a scale,” said Kinakh. “In our view, it will enable our partners in the U.S. to learn about the true situation in Ukraine, the business climate and our priorities. It will be the basis to shape direct ties, common interests and business plans that will boost economic activities of Ukraine.”

Kinakh stressed that a stable economy, new jobs and welfare growth for the Ukrainian people were crucial to achieve victory over Russia. Furthermore, he invited American businesses that are not currently operating in Ukraine to invest in the promising sectors in the country, including information technology, energy, infrastructure, industry renovation and education.

To formalize manufacturers’ commitment to supporting Ukraine, the NAM and the ULIE signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the meeting yesterday. This MOU will serve as a roadmap to the cooperation between the two organizations and outlines the key goals and objectives for the partnership.

In March 2022, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the NAM Board of Directors unanimously voted to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to stand with the people of Ukraine in their fight to preserve freedom and independence. The resolution expressed support for the economic and financial sanctions implemented against Russia and called for the removal of the Russian Federation from the World Trade Organization and termination of permanent normalized trading relationship status with the U.S.

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.81 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.

ULIE

Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) is a strong non-governmental association uniting large enterprises and SMEs, which produce 80% of Ukrainian GDP. The League has 28 representative offices abroad and 39 committees for various sectors. ULIE is an observer organization in business at OECD and cooperates with BusinessEurope. It established several bilateral business councils (with Lithuania, Latvia and others).

For more information, please visit https://uspp.ua/en/.

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement regarding negotiations to raise the debt ceiling:

“It is imperative that Congress and the administration reach a resolution to the debt limit issue as swiftly as possible. Waiting to act until extraordinary measures are exhausted constitutes dangerous brinkmanship that would inject uncertainty into the global economy and increase the risk of a default that would derail manufacturing growth in America, tank markets and put jobs at risk.

“We did not become the greatest nation in the world by shirking our responsibilities. Manufacturers have been working overtime to rebuild our economy, strengthening supply chains, creating jobs at record rates and helping defend against threats from around the world. All of those achievements will be erased if the United States does not find a path forward on the debt limit and fiscal responsibility. Let’s rise above this challenge so that manufacturers can do what we do best: improve lives and livelihoods here and around the world.”

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.81 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers’ Council of Manufacturing Associations announced new 2023 leadership at the CMA 2023 Winter Leadership Conference. Melissa Hockstad, president and CEO of the American Cleaning Institute and the 2023 Association Executive of the Year as named by Association TRENDS and CEO Update, will serve as chair of the CMA Board of Advisers. Jennifer Abril, president and CEO of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA), will serve as vice chair. Made up of more than 200 industry-specific manufacturing associations representing 130,000 companies worldwide, the CMA creates powerful partnerships across the industry and ensures manufacturers have the strongest possible voice.

“The Council of Manufacturing Associations is a positive force for collective advocacy, industry thought leadership and association operations. We strive to be the group industry associations choose,” said Hockstad. “The country depends on our leadership, and I look forward to collaborating with the manufacturing association community to strengthen our voice and advance our competitiveness agenda in this new year.”

“Melissa and Jennifer are experienced and accomplished leaders who are well-positioned to continue the cooperative spirit that has made the CMA such an influential organization for our industry. To add to her long list of achievements, Melissa was just named 2023 Association Executive of the Year by Association TRENDS and CEO Update,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “I look forward to working with them to promote plans and policies that keep manufacturing resilient and uphold the values that have made America exceptional: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”

Prior to leading the ACI, Hockstad held senior leadership positions at American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and SOCMA. Hockstad previously served as CMA vice chair.

The CMA’s mission is focused on bolstering the industry’s nationwide grassroots mobilization efforts and improving the competitiveness of manufacturers in the United States. CMA members work with the NAM to unite the manufacturing association community, and ultimately the broader business community, around strategies for increased manufacturing job creation, investment and innovation in America.

Newly appointed 2023 CMA board members include the following:

• Holly Alfano, CEO of the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association
• Kerwin Brown, president and CEO of the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds
• Charles Johnson, president and CEO of The Aluminum Association
• Heather Rhoderick, president of the Valve Manufacturers Association of America
• Corey Rosenbusch, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute
• Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI – The Food Industry Association

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.81 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.

Washington, D.C. – On Friday, the National Association of Manufacturers filed its opening brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in NAM v. SEC, appealing a lower court ruling dismissing its challenge to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s unlawful rescission of the 2020 proxy advisory firm rule. NAM Chief Legal Officer Linda Kelly released the following statement on the appeal:

“As we said in district court, the SEC engaged in arbitrary and capricious rulemaking in rescinding this commonsense rule. The Administrative Procedure Act requires federal agencies to explain the basis for significant policy reversals, rely on logical reasoning and allow interested parties a meaningful opportunity to provide comment—standards the SEC clearly failed to meet.

“The NAM Legal Center will continue to fight to preserve the 2020 rule in full and protect manufacturers from the SEC’s dramatic about-face.”

Background:

The NAM has long called for increased oversight of proxy advisory firms. In July 2020, the SEC issued final regulations to enhance transparency and accountability for proxy firms, a move NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons called a “long-sought, major win for the industry and millions of manufacturing workers.” The NAM has been the leader in protecting the 2020 rule in court:

• In October 2020, the NAM filed a motion to intervene in ISS v. SEC (ISS’s attempt to overturn the 2020 rule) in support of the SEC’s authority to regulate proxy firms. That case, with the NAM as an intervenor-defendant, is pending before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
• In June 2021, the SEC announced that it was suspending enforcement of the 2020 rule; the NAM filed suit against the SEC in October 2021 challenging this unlawful suspension. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas ruled for the NAM in September 2022, overturning the SEC’s suspension of the 2020 rule.
• In November 2021, the SEC proposed to rescind critical portions of the 2020 rule. The SEC finalized the rescission in July 2022—and the NAM quickly filed suit, saying that “the SEC’s arbitrary actions to rescind this commonsense regulation clearly violate its obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act.” In December 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granted summary judgment in favor of the SEC, failing to engage with the substance of the NAM’s APA claims.

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement upon completion of House Leadership elections for the 118th Congress:

“Manufacturers congratulate Speaker McCarthy and Leader Scalise. Both have been strong supporters of ensuring a strong manufacturing economy.

“We look forward to working with them and the new Congress to advance policies that strengthen manufacturing in the U.S. We remain committed to advancing post-partisan solutions that improve the lives of all Americans, consistent with our ‘Competing to Win’ agenda.”

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.

Washington, D.C. – Following the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that it will reconsider National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Improving air quality in the U.S. is a priority for manufacturers, and we’ve worked for years to make progress in delivering some of the cleanest manufacturing processes in the world. Based on the EPA’s own data, air quality has improved by more than 30% over the past 20 years, even as production and energy consumption have increased.

“The EPA’s announcement today to reconsider the PM 2.5 standard will only further weaken an already slowing economy. It will push states and localities into a nonattainment designation, which will halt new investment, stop operations in some circumstances and cost jobs. Manufacturers are already concerned about the threat of a recession—62% believe that the U.S. will officially slip into a recession in 2023, according to the Q4 2022 NAM Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey released yesterday.

“Today’s announcement is the wrong approach. Let manufacturers do what they do best: innovate and deploy modern technologies to protect the environment, while creating jobs and strengthening the economy.”

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on President Biden’s remarks on border security and enforcement.

“The NAM was encouraged when President Biden made immigration a ‘day one’ priority, and now we need members of Congress to do their part—especially with 779,000 open jobs in manufacturing and not enough Americans to fill these vacancies. President Biden’s announcements today, including on border enforcement, are important steps and reflect some of manufacturers’ concerns, but this still highlights the ongoing need for bipartisan congressional action on immigration. Manufacturers have the solution: our ‘A Way Forward’ plan includes post-partisan recommendations for immigration reform that can be acted on this year. I look forward to discussing this plan with world and business leaders next week in Mexico at the North American Leaders’ Summit.”

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% 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.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers released its Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey for the fourth quarter of 2022. It illustrates manufacturers’ concerns around a challenging economic environment characterized by inflation, supply chain disruption and the workforce crisis. It also demonstrates the consequences of Congress’s continued inaction on key manufacturing priorities. The NAM conducted the survey from Nov. 29 to Dec. 13, 2022.

“The majority of manufacturers expect a recession this year. Congress failed to act on essential tax reforms, which complicates investment, increases inflationary pressures and could stifle economic growth,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Much needed permitting reforms and provisions to strengthen our ability to conduct research and development, buy machinery and finance job-creating investments—which we need to promote growth within the sector—were left on the cutting room floor last year. Those reforms, combined with manufacturers’ ongoing efforts to inspire, educate and empower the future workforce, are critical to our competitiveness.”

Workforce shortages ranked as the industry’s number one concern, and there were 779,000 open jobs in manufacturing in the most recent data. This is why the NAM has pressed Congress to address immigration reform—as both a humanitarian solution and to help the sector grow its talent pool—and other solutions outlined in “Competing to Win,” the NAM’s policy roadmap to bolster manufacturers’ competitiveness.

Timmons added, “We’re looking to the new Congress and the administration for leadership and to focus on policies that remove barriers to manufacturing growth in the United States and fend off a severe downturn.”

Key Findings:

• More than 62% of manufacturing leaders believed that the U.S. economy would slip officially into a recession in 2023.
• More than three-quarters of respondents (75.7%) listed attracting and retaining a quality workforce as a primary business challenge, with supply chain challenges (65.7%) and increased raw material costs (60.7%) the next biggest impediments.
• Even in a recession, manufacturers plan to do the following: capital spending on new equipment and technological investments (65.3%), upskilling and training of existing workforce (64.1%), seeing solid demand for their company’s products (63.2%), hiring new employees (55.1%), investing in research and development (52.1%) and spending on new structures and existing facilities (38.6%).
• More than three-quarters of respondents (75.8%) said pushing back against regulatory overreach should be the top priority of the 118th Congress. Other priorities included supporting increased domestic energy production (69.3%), passing comprehensive immigration reform (65.4%), maintaining and permanently extending tax reform (63.0%), controlling rising health care costs (55.5%), addressing the skills gap facing manufacturers (50.5%) and modernizing permitting to reduce red tape (40.0%).

Due to the consistent economic headwinds, manufacturers’ confidence has declined, with 68.9% of respondents having a positive outlook for their company, the lowest since the third quarter of 2020.

Conducted by NAM Chief Economist Chad Moutray, the Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey has surveyed the association’s membership of 14,000 manufacturers of all sizes on a quarterly basis for the past 25 years to gain insight into their economic outlook, hiring and investment decisions and business concerns.

The NAM releases these results to the public each quarter. Further information on the survey is available here. Click here for more on “Competing to Win.”

Washington, D.C. – Following the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed new Waters of the United States rule, National Association of Manufacturers Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations Aric Newhouse issued the following statement:

“The EPA is unnecessarily rewriting critical permitting standards and tossing aside Supreme Court precedent in the process. This moving target frustrates efforts to expand domestic manufacturing and create well-paying jobs. Manufacturers cannot invest with confidence when the rules keep changing.

“Manufacturers need a sensible WOTUS proposal that provides permitting certainty and allows the industry to continue leading on environmental stewardship.”

In 2023, the Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in Sackett v. EPA, a case that will determine the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act and all regulations within its authority. Previously, the NAM submitted multiple sets of comments regarding the 2015 WOTUS rule to better inform policymakers. In addition, the NAM supported the 2017 executive order instructing the EPA to rescind the rule, and the NAM Legal Center had been in active litigation against the rule starting in 2015. The legal battle included a unanimous victory for the NAM at the U.S. Supreme Court on a key procedural issue, and in 2019, federal judges invalidated the rule.

-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 12.9 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 55% 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.