Manufacturers’ Association: Economic potential requires ‘bold actions’ from Trump administration

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 201 views 

A national manufacturing trade association has urged action on President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, stating that any pro-manufacturing economic reforms require “a fully functioning government.”

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons, in a statement criticizing December employment data, decried the loss of 45,000 workers in 2016 in spite of the uptick in manufacturing employment for the month.

Timmons called the net job losses “unacceptable,” adding that “to really accelerate job growth and fully reach our economic potential, manufacturers are looking to the incoming Trump administration to take bold actions, beginning on day one.”

“To spur job creation right here in the United States, we want to see smart reforms on regulations, taxes, health care, energy and more. But to achieve that, we need a fully functioning government, so we are calling on the Senate to act swiftly on the president-elect’s Cabinet nominees. Unnecessary delays mean lost opportunities for manufacturers and the men and women who make things in America,” Timmons added.

Timmons said the organization appreciated the incoming administration’s willingness “to listen to our concerns and seek our insights,” noting that if leaders “on both sides of the aisle can come together, we can revitalize modern manufacturing in America.”

The latest statement from NAM follows an array of endorsements for Trump’s Cabinet picks, with the latest endorsements being Robert Lighthizer as United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Marc Short as White House Director of Legislative Affairs.