American Manufacturing is Thriving
‘This united Republican government has put an end to one burdensome regulation after another. We’ve cut through red tape that held back small businesses, local lenders, and manufacturers… The results? Less than two years into the new administration, an all-time high 95.1% of U.S. manufacturers have a positive outlook. Now fewer than one in five say a hostile business climate due to things like taxes and regulations is a top obstacle. And more than two-thirds are planning to hire this year.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the benefits Americans continue to see from the Republican pro-opportunity, pro-worker agenda:
“Yesterday, the White House hosted a ‘Made in America’ showcase, featuring products manufactured in each state, including Stoneware & Company from my home state, which makes the famous Louisville Stoneware kitchen and dining sets. Well, talking about reviving American manufacturing is nothing new in this town.
“In his 2013 State of the Union, President Obama insisted -- quote – ‘Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing.’ Every few years, it seemed, our Democratic friends over in the House would hold yet another press conference to talk about getting manufacturing moving.
“So rhetoric was not in short supply during the Obama era. What was harder to come by were results. On President Obama’s watch, on net, our country lost more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Year after year, Democrats’ policies led to insufficient, sluggish, and uneven economic growth that left much of the country behind. Eight years of this so-called ‘recovery’ couldn’t even get us back to the same number of manufacturing jobs that we had when President Obama first took his oath of office.
“There are a number of reasons why. But here’s one thing we heard loud and clear from U.S. manufacturers: High taxes, heavy regulations, and other Democrat policies put the wind squarely in their face. Back in 2013, more than 75% of U.S. manufacturers said a hostile climate due to taxes and regulation was a major business obstacle. What about the present?
“This united Republican government has put an end to one burdensome regulation after another. We’ve cut through red tape that held back small businesses, local lenders, and manufacturers. We overhauled the tax code, leaving families with more to spend and invest and job creators with more flexibility to compete and win.
“The results? Less than two years into the new administration, an all-time high 95.1% of U.S. manufacturers have a positive outlook. Now fewer than one in five say a hostile business climate due to things like taxes and regulations is a top obstacle. And more than two-thirds are planning to hire this year.
“These aren’t just numbers. This is real life. At Jamison Door in Hagerstown, Maryland, tax reform made possible a 400% increase in plant size. In my home state of Kentucky, it’s estimated that more than 1,000 construction jobs will be needed to help build a new aluminum rolling mill for Braidy Industries. Over the next seven years, tax reform is expected to save the company $150 million, which will help support this investment and the 600 permanent new jobs the company estimates it’ll create in the Commonwealth.
“Let’s sum it up. Republican policies have helped generate the very outcomes that Democrats claimed they wanted. American manufacturing is thriving on our watch. But now, Democrats aren’t cheering. In fact, they’ve tried to block most of the policies that have helped this happen. They voted against tax reform -- every Democrat in the House and the Senate. They’ve protested regulatory reform every step of the way. They want to go right back to their old ways -- repeal the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, raise taxes, and pile on more crushing regulations.
“Well, we won’t let that happen. Because we agree that manufacturing growth is vital for American prosperity. And unlike our friends across the aisle, we have the ideas and the policies that help make that goal into reality.”
Related Issues: Jobs, Tax Reform, Small Business, Taxes, Economy
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