Washington, DC – Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Steve Daines (R-MT) joined Representatives Tim Ryan (D-OH), Tom Reed (R-NY) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) today to introduce legislation to establish the position of U.S. Chief Manufacturing Officer in the Executive Office of the President.

The U.S. Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO) will be responsible for coordinating manufacturing-related policies and activities across agencies. The CMO will also develop a national manufacturing strategy to revitalize the manufacturing sector, spur economic growth, and expand United States competitiveness.

“Manufacturing is critical to innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States.” said Senator Coons.  "Across many federal agencies, the U.S. Government makes decisions every day that impact this important sector. It’s critical that we make sure federal efforts are effective, coordinated and informed by an overall strategy. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Chief Manufacturing Officer Act — bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will ensure federal policy helps manufacturers grow and create jobs."

“Manufacturing has long been a source of good–paying, stable jobs for many in Maine and across our nation,” said Senator Collins.  “The establishment of a United States Chief Manufacturing Officer would help develop a national strategy and coordinate federal policies to grow and enhance the competiveness of our manufacturing sector.  By focusing our efforts to revitalize this important industry, we can protect high-quality manufacturing jobs and create new economic opportunities in the years to come.”

“Domestic manufacturing plays an integral role in supporting hardworking families and nearly 3,000 small businesses across our state,” Daines stated. “Manufacturing jobs pay an average of 17 percent higher wages than non-manufacturing jobs and we need policies in place that enable small businesses to be globally competitive and help create more of these high-paying jobs.”

On average, each manufacturing job creates additional three to four jobs due to the required research, development and process design, and needed supply chain and post sales services. However, manufacturing employment, output and exports are all affected by such issues as tax policies, state of infrastructure and transportation, small business regulations, environmental regulations, trade policies, innovation ecosystems, workforce development, and education initiatives.

“A Chief Manufacturing Officer in the Executive Office of the President that sets a strategy based on rapid innovation is the best support our government can give American manufacturers as they respond to the opportunity and challenges of an increasingly connected, automated world,” said Douglas K. Woods, President, the Association For Manufacturing Technology.

“We firmly believe the Office of the Chief Manufacturing Officer will provide the president and the nation with an executive officer who will strengthen the U.S. economy by shaping national manufacturing policy, promoting greater innovation and R&D investments to expand advanced manufacturing, and enhancing the competitiveness of American manufacturers in ever-changing domestic and global markets,” said Rusty Patterson, President, the National Council for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM).

“Establishing a single officer to govern manufacturing policy will ensure that sustained investment in advanced manufacturing initiatives—such as training and educating a skilled workforce, building a robust and enduring domestic manufacturing base, and further developing industrial technologies—will protect our national security and ability to compete globally in the most efficient and effective way possible,” said Thomas G. Loughlin, ASME Executive Director.

“Manufacturing constitutes a vital pillar of the U.S. economy and remains a key provider of high-wage, high-value-add jobs for American workers. But it’s clear that policymakers need to be doing more to ensure this critical industry thrives. ITIF supports legislation to designate a Chief Manufacturing Officer in the White House,” said Robert Atkinson, ITIF President.

“With technology advancing rapidly, our manufacturing workforce has to be prepared to retrain several times during their career,” said Robert G. Kiggans, Former Chairman, IMS International. “This bill could not happen at a better time. We should move quickly!”

This legislation has been supported by: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT), Automation Federation (AF), International Society of Automation (ISA), Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Intelligent Systems International (IMS-I), Manufacturing Alliance of Communities (MAC), National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and National Council for Advanced Manufacturing(NACFAM).