When We Make It In America, America’s Families Will Make It Too

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Democrats’ Make It In America agenda is based on the conviction that when more products are made in America, more families will be able to Make It In America. The agenda is intended to create the conditions to help American businesses produce goods here, innovate here, and create jobs here; it includes many of the wise investments necessary for America to out-educate, out-innovate, and out-build its international competitors. President Obama has already signed six Make It In America bills into law, many of which won bipartisan support. Business and labor leaders alike support Democrats’ Make It In America agenda—because Making It In America is central to the future of our competitiveness, our jobs, and our place in the world.

Make It In America: Legislation

The following bills represent a cross-section of the legislation in the Make It In America agenda for the 112th Congress. The agenda is dynamic and continues to evolve: Democrats stand ready to examine other good ideas to create good jobs, to help our companies produce more goods here, to maintain our leadership in innovation, and to educate a 21st-century workforce. Some of these bills are concrete proposals that are ready to be acted on; others are ideas for the development of legislation that can create jobs and strengthen American industry.

  • National Manufacturing Strategy Act (Rep. Lipinski, H.R. 1366):Directs the president to work with industry, labor leaders, and other stakeholders to develop a national strategy to increase manufacturing.
Make It In America is…investing in infrastructure and supporting the flow of commerce.
  • Build a 21st Century Surface Transportation System: Enact a Surface Transportation Authorization bill to create a modern and efficient transportation system that facilitates trade and industry.
  • Build American Jobs Act (Rep. Levin, H.R. 992)/Build America Bonds to Create Jobs Now Act (Rep. Connolly, H.R. 11): Extends the Build America Bonds program, provides additional funding for the Recovery Zone bonds program, and makes improvements to existing bond and credit programs to help states and local governments leverage private capital to create jobs today and build the infrastructure that is the backbone of future economic growth.
  • National Infrastructure Development Bank Act (Rep. DeLauro, H.R. 402): Establishes a wholly-owned government corporation to facilitate efficient investments in and financing of infrastructure projects—from leading-edge broadband networks and energy delivery systems to modern ports—that foster economic development and keep America competitive.
  • The Airports, Highways, High-Speed Rail, Trains and Transit: Make it in America Act (Rep. Garamendi, H.R. 613): Increases domestic content provisions for airports and rolling stock and eliminates non-availability waivers.
  • One Global Internet Act (Rep. Lofgren):Establishes a government task force that would review, prioritize, and act on attempts by foreign governments to degrade or disrupt the flow of goods, services, and/or content on the Internet.
Make It In America is…keeping America competitive.
    • Permanent R&D Tax Credit (Rep. Carney): Make permanent and expand the Research and Development Tax Credit so research investments can draw capital that create tomorrow’s jobs.
    • Patent Reform: Improve the patent system to provide incentives for companies to continue innovating and manufacturing in the U.S.
    • Rare Earths Materials: Three bills have been introduced on this important issue. Rare Earths and Critical Materials Revitalization Act (Rep. Boswell, H.R. 618), Energy Critical Elements Renewal Act (Rep. Brad Miller, H.R. 952), and the Resource Assessment of Rare Earths (RARE) Act (Reps. Hank Johnson and Markey, H.R. 1314). These bills support the assessment and development of U.S. capacity in rare earth minerals critical to the manufacture of energy and other technologies.
    • Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (Reps. Levin and Tim Ryan, H.R. 639):Levels the trade playing field by holding accountable countries that create an unfair trade advantage by manipulating their currency.
    • Export-Import Bank: Enact a long-term reauthorization that gives the Bank the tools it needs to assist American exporters and help them compete in the global marketplace.

Make It In America is…supporting small businesses.
  • The Innovative Technologies Investment Incentives Act (Rep. Van Hollen, H.R. 1732): Accelerates innovation by providing a 25% tax credit for qualified equity investments in eligible high technology and biotechnology small businesses.
  • Small Business Start-up Savings Accounts (Rep. Sewell):  Establishes tax-preferred savings accounts for small business start-up savings accounts.
  • Make It in America Block Grant Act (Rep. Cicilline): Establishes a grant program at the Commerce Department to provide small to medium-sized businesses in communities hardest hit by unemployment with the resources and strategies they need to retool and retrofit their operations and train their workforce in order to transition to the manufacturing of clean energy, high-technology, and advanced products.
Make It In America is…smart tax policy.
  • Corporate Tax Reform: Our corporate tax system is far too confusing and inefficient.  It causes economic distortions by forcing managers to make decisions based on tax consequences rather than on solid business principles.  Many of these decisions, unfortunately, send investment and jobs overseas.  Reform could lower the corporate tax rate and bring investment back to make American business and the American worker more competitive globally.
Make It In America is…clean energy jobs.
  • Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act (Rep. Matsui, H.R. 502): Establishes a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund, to be administered through the International Trade Administration, to ensure that U.S. clean energy technology firms have the information and assistance they need to be competitive and to create clean energy technology sector jobs.
  • Security in Energy and Manufacturing (SEAM) Act (Rep. Rothman, H.R. 724): This program, initially created in the Recovery Act, invested $2.3 billion in tax credits for advanced energy manufacturing facilities generating more than 17,000 jobs and incentivizing an additional $5.4 billion in private-sector investment.
  • New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act (Reps. Sullivan, Boren, Larson, and Brady, H.R. 1380): Provides incentives to encourage private investment in natural gas refueling infrastructure and the production and purchasing of natural gas vehicles and trucks.
  • ·Advanced Vehicle Technology Act (Rep. Peters, H.R. 1367): The bill reauthorizes the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies research programs (FreedomCar and the 21st Century Truck Partnership) so that the next generation of advanced vehicles can be built in America.
  • Energy Efficient Buildings and Homes:  The Rural Energy Savings Program (Rep. Clyburn), along with the “Home Star” and “Building Star” programs, would support installation of American made energy efficient products.
Make It In America is…innovative education policy
  • Workforce Investment Act: Our economy is only as strong as the people who work to grow it. The American workforce investment system is supported by a partnership of educators, workforce development professionals and the business community who work together to ensure the vitality of local economies. A robust reauthorization of WIA will ensure that workers who seek opportunities in a new field or new opportunities within their own field have the support they need. 
  • Job Opportunities Between our Shores (JOBS) Act (Whip Hoyer):Establishes a Workforce Investment Act pilot program to provide education and training programs in advanced manufacturing.
  • American Manufacturing Efficiency & Retraining Investment Collaboration (AMERICA Works) Act (Rep. Donnelly, H.R. 1325):Strengthens our workforce by helping American workers earn certifications, degrees, and qualifications for the jobs American industry needs to fill.
  • Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act (Rep. Loebsack, H.R. 1240): Forms partnerships between businesses, unions, and educators to train workers for some of the most needed 21st Century jobs.
  • STEM Education:To strengthen American innovation, create the industries of the future, and ensure that our kids have the skills they need to fill well-paying jobs in those industries, we must invest in outstanding science, technology, engineering, and math education.
    • Ensure that states develop rigorous core standards in science, to complement standards in math and reading
    • Help interested science, technology, engineering, and math professionals enter teaching careers
    • Build community partnerships to create externship opportunities for students
    • Promote careers in manufacturing for high school students
    • Fully fund STEM education provisions in the America COMPETES Act to strengthen manufacturing education, increase STEM career opportunities for women and minorities, and recruit STEM teachers from underrepresented groups
Make It In America is…making it in America.
  • The Keep American Jobs from Going Down the Drain Act (Rep. Sutton, H.R. 1684): Gives preference to U.S.-made goods and materials for use in the installation, replacement, and improvement of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
  • Berry Amendment Extension Act (Rep. Kissell, H.R. 679):Prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from procuring certain items directly related to the national security unless the items are grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the U.S.
  • American Jobs Matter Act (Rep. Chris Murphy, H.R. 1354):Directs federal contracting officers, government-wide, to solicit optional information regarding the impact a contract award may have on U.S. job creation and authorizes the use of this information in award decisions.
  • All-American Flag Act (Rep. Braley, H.R. 1344):Ensures that when the government buys American flags, they are made in America.
Make It In America: Smart Regulations and Efficient Government

Federal regulations are crucial to protecting Americans’ health, the quality of our environment, the fairness of our economic markets, and the safety of everything from our workers to the products we use to the food we eat to the air we breathe. Democrats will fight to defend those vital and fair rules from special interests intent on overturning them. At the same time, Democrats have a common-sense willingness to examine regulations that might have unintended consequences, fail to achieve their objectives, or greatly hinder the creation of jobs. President Obama has ordered an administration-wide review of the economic effect of federal regulations, and Congressional Democrats will build on that effort, while working to preserve the fair rules that protect Americans’ health and safety.

Some Make It In America areas of focus include:

  • Ensure legitimate end-users can use derivatives without incurring undue costs.
  • Streamline and modernize U.S. export controls to allow for the export of widely available products in a manner that does not undermine U.S. national security.
  • Increase transparency in the Buy America waiver process across all departments and agencies.
  • Streamline the federal government’s manufacturing programs to better meet the needs of today’s manufacturers and provide them with one-stop shops to access federal assistance.
Make It In America: Enacted Laws

Since 2010, President Obama has signed the following Make It In America bills into law:

  • U.S. Manufacturing Enhancement Act: Makes it cheaper for American companies to obtain the materials they need to manufacture goods. [Public Law 111-227]
  • Protecting American Patents: Helps the Patent Office to begin to unclog the backlog—totaling about 1.2 million pending applications—by giving the agency access to more of the fees it collects so that patent applications can continue to be processed and innovative ideas can continue to move to market. [Public Law 111-224]
  • Preventing Outsourcing: Prevents the outsourcing of U.S. jobs by closing tax loopholes that encourage companies to send U.S. jobs overseas. [Public Law 111-226]
  • Small Business Jobs Act: Expands much needed lending to millions of small businesses and offers tax incentives to help small businesses grow, hire, and fuel our economy, without adding a dime to the deficit. [Public Law 111-240]
  • Energy Jobs and Training for Veterans Act: Provides grants for programs to provide on-the-job training, apprenticeship, real experience, and long-term employment in all energy fields. [Public Law 111-275]
  • America COMPETES Reauthorization Act: Establishes innovative technology federal loan guarantees for small- and medium-sized manufacturers and invests in science, technology, engineering, and math education. [Public Law 111-358]
  • Reauthorization of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs: The six-year reauthorization ensures that the nation’s small, high-tech, and innovative businesses are a significant part of the federal government’s research and development efforts. [Public Law No. 112-81]
  • Leahy-Smith America Invents Act: Improves the patent system to provide incentives for companies to continue innovating and manufacturing in the U.S. [Public Law No. 112-29]