Peters Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Maximize Federal Support for American Manufacturers, Workers

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced bipartisan legislation to help strengthen federal efforts to boost domestic manufacturing and support American workers.

Peters’ Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act – which he introduced with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) – would authorize a study by the National Academy of Public Administration on how to maximize effectiveness across the U.S. Department of Commerce’s various manufacturing programs. The bill would also then require recommendations to Congress on ways to improve coordination among the programs to better serve manufacturers – many of which are small businesses.

“Over the past two years, I’ve worked with my colleagues to pass into law historic investments to boost American manufacturing and position us to outcompete foreign countries like China,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “Building on these efforts, we need to ensure our federal programs are positioned to effectively support our manufacturers, including small and medium-sized manufacturers. My bipartisan bill is an important step toward making sure our federal manufacturing programs have the resources, efficiency, and coordination they need to support American manufacturers, which are driving job creation and strengthening supply chains.”

“We work with small and mid-size manufacturers every day,” stated Ingrid Tighe, President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, “And the message is clear: they are proud of what they do, they are vital to strengthening Michigan’s economy, and they need to stay competitive in a global economy. Increasing opportunities for manufacturers to access state and federal resources focused on reshoring and upskilling the manufacturing workforce, is critical to their continued success. This bill will further support manufacturers and American workers alike.”

Peters has made strengthening domestic manufacturing and supply chains a top priority. Peters helped author and pass into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which includes a provision Peters secured with Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI) to support the domestic production of mature semiconductor technologies and ensure that projects supporting critical manufacturing industries are given priority status, which would include the automotive sector. This is in addition to $50 billion already in the bill to incentivize the production of semiconductors of all kinds in the U.S. – for a total of $52 billion. The CHIPS and Science Act also included Peters’ bipartisan Investing in Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Act, which will ensure federal incentives to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing include U.S. suppliers that produce the materials and manufacturing equipment that enable semiconductor manufacturing – bolstering semiconductors supply chains and Michigan manufacturers.

The CHIPS and Science Act additionally authorized increased funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, which has been a priority for Peters. Most recently, Peters announced the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, Michigan’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, will receive $400,000 in federal funding made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act to help manufacturers in Michigan improve the strength of their supply chains. In the most recent government funding bill signed into law, Peters secured an additional $188 million for MEPs like Michigan’s Manufacturing Technology Center – which provide technical assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers on business operations, advanced technologies, workforce and skills development, cybersecurity and more. Peters also supported and helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which will strengthen domestic manufacturing, onshore our supply chains, combat the climate crisis and create millions of American jobs.

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