The House Science, Space and Technology Committee advanced a bill on Friday that was introduced by Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) to help the United States become a global leader in manufacturing.
The Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act (RAMI) would establish a nationwide network of manufacturing institutes across the country, according to a press release.
The institutes would consist of public-private partnerships between manufacturers, researchers and educators who collaborate to bolster manufacturing efforts and to prep the workforce for technical jobs.
“We’re one step closer to crossing the finish line and seeing this bipartisan jobs bill become law,” Reed said. “When we’re talking about creating the kinds of high-tech, high-paying jobs we want to see our children and grandchildren in, we’re talking about jobs that give them those opportunities to create and innovate here at home – not across the ocean. RAMI sets the stage for those jobs and makes sure the U.S. is a world leader in advanced manufacturing.”
The regionally-based manufacturing hubs would strive to create high-skilled workers through education, to improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing through research and to increase production of the U.S. manufacturing sector.
Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.), who co-sponsored the bill with Reed, said the U.S. manufacturing sector has “new legs” because of industries like advanced manufacturing, life sciences, information technology and defense.
“(Friday’s) bipartisan passage of RAMI by the (House Science, Space and Technology Committee) is another step towards the kind of domestic manufacturing policy our country needs to create good jobs and stay on the cutting edge of a global economy,” Kennedy said.