Obama Hosts Forum On Job And Economic Growth

December 3, 2009

Manufacturing will be a major topic this Thursday when President Obama hosts a White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth. Today I joined NAM Chairman Mike Campbell and Vice Chair Mary Andringa in sending a letter to President Obama offering our support for the Administration’s event and outlining the NAM’s priorities for creating manufacturing jobs. Click here to view the letter.

The letter lauds the President’s recent emphasis on export-related growth and stresses the importance of U.S. tax policy to manufacturing competitiveness. We write, “For the White House forum to focus most effectively on creating jobs and long-term economic growth, the NAM recommends it emphasize transportation and energy infrastructure. Investments in these areas not only create jobs, they also help build a foundation for U.S. competitiveness. They belong at the heart of any jobs and growth strategy.”

Leaders of manufacturing companies are well represented among the anticipated 130 attendees at the White House forum, along with academics, union leaders, “green jobs” activists, elected officials and others. NAM’s staff is arranging media interviews around the summit. As always, we will point to the vital need to enact a “growth agenda” to strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness.

In addition to the letter, NAM also sent the most recent report from the NAM’s chief economist, David Huether. You can access the report by clicking here.

The White House forum follows an hour-long CNBC special on manufacturing, “Meeting of the Minds: Rebuilding America,” hosted by Maria Bartiromo. I joined Bill Ford of Ford Motor Company; Daniel R. DiMicco of Nucor Corp.; Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric; Leo W. Gerard of the United Steelworkers; and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on the panel debate taped Monday in Pittsburgh. The program is scheduled for broadcast at 8 p.m. Eastern Time tonight.
Thursday’s White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth is another good opportunity to explain and promote policies to boost U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, and the NAM plans to make the most of it. Still, our advocacy around this event is best seen as one more piece of our unceasing campaign on behalf of manufacturing and its central role in the U.S. economy.