Timmons: The State of Manufacturing Is Boundless if Policymakers Clear the Skies
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the 2026 State of the Union address, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement during the NAM State of Manufacturing Tour:
“The state of manufacturing is boundless if policymakers will help clear the skies. For America to lead, now and in the long run, manufacturers need a policy framework that makes the United States the best place in the world to make things—one that lowers the cost of doing business.
“Thanks to President Trump, leaders in his Cabinet and in Congress, the 2017 provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act were not just made permanent—they were made even stronger. And in doing so, we saved 6 million jobs. The tax and investment incentives in H.R. 1 amount to the most significant economic transformation in the history of our industry and is rocket fuel for manufacturers.
“Yet no rocket can launch until the skies are clear, the outlook is stable and the conditions are certain. Manufacturers need certainty because uncertainty chokes investment—and volatility chokes growth. To deliver the stability that manufacturers need to launch, the White House and Congress need to secure the rest of the NAM’s comprehensive manufacturing strategy.
“That means embracing an all-of-the-above energy strategy, delivering real permitting reform, driving the funding we need for modern infrastructure, modernizing regulations, investing in our workforce, fixing our immigration system, and instituting strategic trade policies.
“Every part and every policy must work together.
“If our nation’s leaders empower us through investments in smart and sustainable public policy, America’s manufacturers will reach new heights. What better way to honor our nation’s 250th anniversary than to empower us—the 13 million people who make things in America—to deliver the greatest manufacturing era in American history.”
Background: NAM State of Manufacturing Tour
Spanning seven states—New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas and Arizona—the tour brings together manufacturing leaders, workers, educators, students and elected officials to highlight the policies and conditions needed for the United States to compete and win in a global economy, focusing on innovation, tax policy, permitting reform, energy dominance, workforce and trade policy.
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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 $2.95 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.
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