Congresswoman Tenney Introduces Legislation to Boost Domestic Manufacturing
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) has introduced the Make it in America to Sell it in America Act, to address the United States’ deindustrialization and reliance on foreign products in critical industries. The legislation will support American manufacturers and help ensure that the United States always has a reliable capacity to produce critical goods.
In recent decades, trade and economic policies have contributed to the hollowing out of America’s industrial base and the erosion of our middle class. Today, the U.S. relies on imports of foreign goods for many of our most sensitive industrial and national security needs. Since 2001, approximately 60,000 production facilities have closed throughout the nation. The impacts of this rapid deindustrialization are felt in regions like upstate New York. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare our nation’s lack of industrial self-sufficiency. Shortages in goods ranging from personal protective equipment to semiconductors underscore the need to rethink our national approach to questions of industrial security.
“The Make it in America to Sell it in America Act will reverse America’s manufacturing decline and unleash the growth of traditional and advanced industrial communities across upstate New York and around the country. Increasing domestic production of critical goods is not only good for the durability of our supply chains, but it will also support well-paying jobs at home, and end our dependency on foreign nations. It’s a win all around," said Congresswoman Tenney.
Senator Hawley said, “Joe Biden’s supply chain crisis is getting worse with every passing day, straining the finances of working Americans who have already been forced to endure so much over the past year and a half. Biden's policies have given us empty shelves and rising prices across the country. It’s past time for the U.S. to end its crippling dependency on foreign manufacturing in countries like China and ensure that we actually produce the goods we need here at home.”
"Local content requirements are an idea whose time has come, and a vital part of the toolkit that American Compass has argued policymakers must assemble to reverse decades of industrial decline. LCRs harness the forces of market competition to improve supply-chain resilience, promote domestic innovation and investment, and strengthen our national security. Congresswoman Tenney and Senator Hawley are providing bold leadership for conservatives who are prepared to apply their principles to the challenges facing American families, communities, and industry today," said Oren Cass, Executive Director of American Compass.
Summary of the Make it in America to Sell it in America Act:
Directs the Department of Commerce (DOC) in consultation with the Department of Defense (DOD) to submit a public annual report to Congress detailing goods that are critical for American national security or the protection of the U.S. industrial base.
Requires that three years after the bill’s enactment, any good identified by DOC and DOD on the annual list to be subject to a more than 50 percent domestic content requirement, such that over half of the value of the good must be produced in the United States for the product to be sold commercially in the United States.
Contains enforcement mechanisms similar to anti-dumping duties under which domestic producers are empowered to petition the International Trade Commission and DOC for enforcement actions against importers of goods in violation of these requirements.
Provides for temporary waivers targeted at goods which require additional time to re-shore production.
A Senate version of the bill has been introduced by Josh Hawley (R-MO).
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