A Strong Manufacturing Sector
Adopted at the 82nd Annual Meeting in 2014
WHEREAS, manufacturing remains a vital and growing sector of the U.S. economy; and
WHEREAS, over the last three years, metropolitan area manufacturing employment has expanded by an average annual rate of 1.7%; and
WHEREAS, many communities across the country continue to slowly recover from the economic impact of the great recession, particularly in areas where manufacturing was once dominant; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, the Obama Administration has increasingly focused on revitalizing the role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy through grants and initiatives administered by the Commerce Department and the Economic Development Administration; and
WHEREAS, former Youngstown, OH Mayor Jay Williams has been nominated by President Obama as the assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, overseeing the Economic Development Administration,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors applauds the Administration s renewed focus of manufacturing through initiatives such as the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership, and the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to approve additional investments in job training initiatives to close the skills gap, encourage apprenticeships and partnerships with community colleges, authorize tax credits to promote manufacturing in communities, and encourage more foreign direct investment in the U.S. through the SelectUSA initiative.