In a press release, the National Association of Manufacturers (6/20) said, “More than 500 manufacturers have been in Washington, DC, this week, as part of the NAM’s Manufacturing Summit, to urge members of Congress and the Administration to implement pro-manufacturing policies that will help manufacturers grow and create jobs.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Rep. John Larson (D-CT) joined the Summit today to discuss the importance of pro-growth policies to make manufacturers more competitive.” NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons, said, “We are happy to see his focus is on jobs and turning the economy around. This slow pace of growth is unacceptable, and we need action in Washington that will allow manufacturers to grow and create jobs. Manufacturers’ Growth Agenda can move us forward to lead our economy.” Timmons also said, “These are critical conversations because manufacturers face mounting challenges that threaten their ability to compete globally and increase the cost of doing business in the United States.”
Boehner: US Must “Unleash The Nation Of Builders” To Recapture Its Global Dominance.The Wall Street Journal (6/20, Hook) “Washington Wire” blog reported Boehner said in a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers that the US economy is recovering too slowly.
The Hill (6/21, Berman) reports Boehner said, “Our economy has been growing so slowly because we’ve been investing in government rather than in ourselves and the resources we’ve been blessed with.” He also said, “We need a new approach that revives tried and true habits … an approach that removes obstacles to growth and prosperity … an approach that encourages every firm, every small business, and every person to create wealth and contribute to our growth.” The Washington Times (6/21, Sherfinski) reports, “He said a so-called ‘new normal’ of high unemployment and stagnant economic growth is unacceptable.” Boehner said, “America’s greatness has always rested on our ability to build and produce things.” He also said that in “order to unleash a ‘nation of builders,’” the country “needs a simpler tax code and ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that includes building the Keystone XL pipeline.”
The National Review (6/21, Trinko) “The Corner” blog reported Boehner said, “Developing North America’s energy resources is, in my view, one of our best opportunities for robust and sustained growth. It’s our new economic frontier, just as the Internet was in the 1990s.”
The Hill (6/20, Goad) “Regwatch” blog noted, “Boehner and other congressional Republicans have relentlessly criticized the administration for not doing more to slow the proliferation of federal rules, which they say has hamstrung businesses and slowed the economic recovery.” Boehner said, “This administration would have us believe we can build a great nation on reams of red tape while operating a service economy with things built by earlier generations.”
The MarketWatch (6/21) “Capitol Report” blog and, on its website, FOX News (6/20, Pergram) also covered the story.
Upton: Government Should Get Out Of Energy Boom’s Way. The Hill (6/20, Goad) reports in its “Regwatch” blog that Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the House Energy Committee, in remarks to the National Association of Manufacturers, lauded production of natural gas via fracking as a way in which the US “can be more competitive with the rest of the world.” Upton also called on the Obama Administration to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, as it contributes to North American oil independence.
The Detroit News (6/20, Schultz) adds that Upton believes natural gas can compete with better infrastructure and that fueling vehicles with natural gas holds great promise. Upton defended fracking, saying there had not been a “single instance where ground water has been contaminated” and praised it as a reason the US is the largest natural gas producer worldwide.
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