House Panel Approves Bill For National Manufacturing Strategy

(Update with comments from Alliance for American Manufacturing in fifth and seventh paragraphs.)

By Shayndi Raice

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- A House panel approved legislation Wednesday that would require the president to create a four-year national manufacturing strategy to advance the country's interests in the global economy.

In 2009, the manufacturing sector employed 11.5 million people, down from 17.3 million people 10 years earlier, according to Rep. Bobby Rush (D., Ill.), chairman of the subcommittee on commerce, trade and consumer protection.

The manufacturing act would require the president to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the country's manufacturing sector to be conducted by a task force that would submit its recommendations to him. The results would yield a four-year strategy that would include long- and short-term goals for the country's manufacturing businesses. The national strategy would be reported to Congress and made available to the public.

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D., Ill.), the bill's sponsor, hopes to have a House vote on the bill next week.

"It's a welcome step forward and we hope that it is the first of many initiatives that congress will pass to support manufacturing before the end of year," said Scott Paul, executive director for the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

The Obama administration has yet to take a formal position on the legislation. Aneesh Chopra, chief technology officer and associate director of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in a hearing on July 14 that he wouldn't comment on the administration's view on the legislation. He did say, however, that, "the administration envisions an economy in which jobs are more plentiful, American firms are more competitive, American manufacturing is robust and exports of high-tech products and services far exceed imports."

Paul said he was unconcerned that the administration has not yet formally supported the bill. "I think [the legislation] meshes very nicely with their goals of revitalizing manufacturing," he said.

-By Shayndi Raice, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9291; shayndi.raice@dowjones.com.