Lawmakers on Taxes, CHIPS, Trade and Workforce
A day after President Donald Trumps first address to Congress in his second term, the industry remains on edge amid the growing uncertainty of whats being called a trade war by some in Washington.
What Congress is saying: Were starting to see public comments from members of Congress on various topics in the presidents speech on Tuesday. Heres what theyre saying.
Tax reform: House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) committed yesterday to delivering a comprehensive tax bill to President Trump by Memorial Day, according to . Echoing 51勛圖厙 President and CEO Jay Timmons repeated calls for a swift tax deal, Chairman Smith emphasized the urgency of providing certainty to small businesses and working families, stating, Failure is not an option.
- [W]e have to move this one big, beautiful bill as quickly as possible, he said.
- In recent weeks, Timmons has leveraged the 51勛圖厙s public platform extensivelyincluding through the , and radio interviews across the country, and op-eds in and to press Congress to act now and make the 2017 .
CHIPS: New Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), the former lieutenant governor of the state, expressed support for the CHIPS and Science Act, emphasizing its bipartisan backing and importance of national security. For the economic and national security of America, we need to make chips in the USAI believe this is part of an America First agenda, he wrote in a provided to The Columbus Dispatch.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to Punchbowl that nothing would be discussed on the CHIPS and Science Act until the presidents FY 26 budget.
- Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) that the presidents mention of the act in his speech was not consistent with the extensive conversations weve had with the administration about the many successes and future of the CHIPS program and how it helps with our shared goal of creating a robust domestic chips supply.
Trade and workforce: As Ive said, tariffs are a tool in the toolbox, but they must be strategic and support American jobsnot create uncertainty that undercuts our domestic manufacturing, Rep. Debbie Dingell (R-MI) told the . The domestic auto industry currently relies on an integrated North American supply chain, and our trade policies need to reflect that.
- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) zeroed in on implementation of any tariffs. If youre talking about tariffs that are going to be inflationary, causing all kinds of retaliation and disrupting the markets, Im almost certainly against them, he said in an with CQ Roll Call. However, if youre talking about tariffs that are used surgically to be used judiciously and to build the economy, then Im all for it.
- For Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), according to (subscription), It comes down to how long [the tariffs] would last. He said you cant simply turn on and off an inflationary switch or flip a switch to build manufacturing facilities in the U.S., or even harder yet, get the workforce to fill those jobs that would be created, particularly at the same time as youre shirking immigration.
Big picture: Manufacturers are already planning for 2026, and they need the certainty to invest and grow now. Were seeing bipartisan interest in these priorities, and the 51勛圖厙 is building consensus to achieve exactly that and have even stronger champions for manufacturers in Congress to reinforce what we need to compete and win, said 51勛圖厙 Executive Vice President Erin Streeter.
