U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va. 10) today announced a bipartisan legislative push to encourage the creation of new manufacturing jobs here in America, strengthen worker training and industry certification programs, and expand U.S. exports.
The Warner/Wolf partnership, launched after the U.S. unemployment rate edged up to 9.1 percent in May:
- Creates a competitive grant program for states to provide up to $5,000 in forgivable loans for each new manufacturing job created and maintained for at least five years within a rural or economically-distressed region of the country.
- Works with employers to develop training and education programs for the specific jobs available at area businesses, strengthening those programs which provide an industry-recognized credential for workers in the advanced manufacturing and information technology industries;
- And expedites federal financing to allow certain qualifying companies to increase export capacity.
“America’s competitors for these solid, good-paying manufacturing jobs are nations like India, China and Korea – countries which have consistently offered generous incentives to attract investment and jobs,” Sen. Warner said. “Our legislation provides more tools for states and localities, allowing them to ‘tip the balance’ by providing an additional financial incentive and a trained, qualified workforce as employers are considering where to open new factories and hire new workers.”
This initiative builds upon Sen. Warner’s 2010 America Recruits Act, which establishes additional federal incentives for employers creating new jobs in rural and economically challenged regions of the country. It also incorporates elements of Rep. Wolf’s Bring Jobs Back to America Act, introduced in March 2011, which would start the process of bringing jobs back to America that have relocated overseas during the last two decades.
“I believe that a strong manufacturing and technology development base is critical to job creation and the economic competitiveness of the United States,” Rep. Wolf said. “However, we have been far too slow in responding to our international economic competitors in this era of global markets and competition. This legislation helps to re-focus the United States to be more proactive and a smarter competitor in the global economy – both in the short-term and long-term. We cannot afford to wait. Our international competitors aren’t.”
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