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Timmons on Labor Shortages, Creators Wanted Campaign

“Let’s be upfront about it. We have a very severe worker shortage in our country right now. It’s why the 51�Թ��� has been so focused on our , to attract that next generation of manufacturing workers, and we are in competition now all across every sector for workers.

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“So, if you think about supply chain shortages, why is that happening? Part of it certainly is the pandemic and the ability for trade to move freely, but you also have issues of not enough people at factories producing the component parts that go into finished products. What does that lead to? That leads to higher prices. So, it’s a supply and demand issue. Jim Cramer earlier today talked about a focus on getting this worker shortage under control. He mentioned, for instance, one possibility of helping to deal with this is immigration reform and that he thinks that there is a potential bipartisan solution to that. I believe there is as well. We have been pushing that through our program called A Way Forward at the 51�Թ��� for a number of years. We think that’s one thing that will help get the economy back and deal with some of these issues.”

Timmons on Separating Infrastructure Investment from the Budget Resolution

“I think it was an extraordinary achievement by the Senate, a bipartisan achievement by Republicans and Democrats to get that bill across the line. We said at the 51�Թ��� from the start that we would see probably about $1.2 trillion without punishing and archaic tax increases that would take us back to a time when we weren’t able to invest and hire and grow wages like we have for the last three years…We think that this bipartisan solution needs to get across the finish line. This is a very big priority not only for the president, but also for the American people. We know that can get done.

“…the reconciliation package that may be being developed…we have some serious concerns. We will certainly oppose any of the archaic tax increases that have been discussed. We are hearing somewhere between $1.8 and $3.5 trillion on job creators in America. That would take us to where we were before the 2017 tax reforms, where, afterwards, as I said, we were able to have record investment, record job creation, record wage growth. Why would we ever want to undo that? We are watching that very closely. We will oppose the bill with any of those factors in there. We will oppose the pharmaceutical issues that are in those bills that will stop us from being able to deal with the next pandemic. And we are going to oppose the labor provisions that would drive a wedge between management and our workers. There are a lot of things in that bill we don’t like. But infrastructure, BIF as it’s called in Washington speak, needs to get across the line right away. It’s an accomplishment we can all be proud of.”

Timmons on the 51�Թ���’s Vaccine Mandates

“I am so proud of the 51�Թ��� team…We had a…94% vaccine acceptance rate before we imposed the mandate, and since then…we have achieved 100%. And I am thrilled because our team cares about not only themselves and their families, but also the people that we interact with every day—our 14,000 member manufacturers across the country. It’s the responsible thing to do, and I am happy that team 51�Թ��� came through.

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“What I hear from every single CEO that we represent is that their number-one concern is their employees, the health of their employees, the health of their employees’ families and their communities…It’s become political at times, but it doesn’t need to be. The last administration through Operation Warp Speed helped develop a vaccine in just record time with all the safety protocols in place. This administration is executing the vaccinations across the country. It’s a bipartisan effort, a nonpartisan effort, I would say, to make sure that our communities are safe, that our country is safe and the world can return to normal. It’s the only way it’s going to happen—we know that.”

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The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.4 million men and women, contributes $2.44 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a West Columbia, South Carolina–based manufacturer, has been instrumental in helping American hospitals during the pandemic. The company produces inhalation solutions and suspension products, as well as prefilled sterile syringes, vials, IV bottles and IV bags. Meanwhile, Nephron also launched a COVID-19 diagnostics lab and vaccination center last year and recently announced plans for a new U.S. plant that will produce medical-grade nitrile gloves.

It is thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that Nephron has been able to keep investing in its workforce and facilities. Nephron President, CEO and Owner Lou Kennedy recently spoke to us about the company’s expansion and the benefits of the tax reform law’s provisions.

An early start: Nephron didn’t wait to begin sharing the benefits with its employees. Within days of tax reform’s passage, the company announced that employees would receive a 5% raise.

An expanded workforce: Tax reform also helped the company grow over time, from its pre–tax reform size of 485 employees.

• Today, the company has nearly 1,200 full-time employees and almost 800 more part-time employees, including educators, interns and apprentices—a massive expansion that shows no signs of stopping.
• In fact, Nephron expects to have 400–500 jobs to fill in the next 12 months alone.

In addition, the company skews young and diverse—around 53% of the workforce are women, more than 36% are people of color, and the average employee age is about 35.

Offering good jobs: The company now offers a starting salary in the range of $17 per hour. Meanwhile, it has also increased its long-term incentives and bulked up its 401(k) plan.

Growing operations: In addition to its workforce expansion, Nephron is using the benefits of tax reform to invest in its facilities and expand its footprint.

• The company is in the midst of five multimillion-dollar projects, including one worth $215 million that Nephron has said was made possible by tax reform. This project will bring 380 new full-time jobs to the surrounding area by 2024 and add new office, warehouse and production space as well as a vaccine production facility.

How tax reform helped: Nephron is organized as a pass-through entity, which helped the company benefit from the lower top tax rate (37%) that tax reform offered. It also benefited from the 20% pass-through deduction and a full expensing provision that allows for the immediate deduction of equipment purchases.

• The tax code’s research and development incentives, including R&D full expensing, have also been hugely important to Nephron, helping it develop the therapies that stop COVID-19 in its tracks.

The last word: “Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed, we have plowed dollars back into our businesses and our workers,” said Kennedy. “We would certainly have to pump the brakes if tax reform were to be rolled back. We’re hopeful that Congress and the administration will leave tax reform in place to incentivize domestic manufacturing.”

Washington, D.C. – Following the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decision in 51�Թ��� v. Department of the Treasury, 51�Թ��� Senior Vice President and General Counsel Linda Kelly released this statement:

“The 51�Թ��� is very gratified to see the court agreed in full with the trial court’s decision holding that Congress spoke clearly when it created and expanded the duty drawback program to support U.S. exports. Put simply, this program helps manufacturers in America level the playing field when they sell to overseas markets. We look forward to working with our members as they expand their operations and add jobs in the United States in light of today’s decision.”

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The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.4 million men and women, contributes $2.44 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

As part of its budget, the Biden administration proposed earlier this year to end a tax provision that helps keep intellectual property in the United States—and the 51�Թ��� is advocating against the move.

The background: The foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) deduction was created as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. It is intended to encourage companies to develop and maintain intellectual property in the United States, as well as bring it back to the country, by providing a lower tax rate for foreign sales based on U.S. IP.

Why it matters: By incentivizing the location of IP in the U.S., FDII ultimately helps support high-paying manufacturing jobs—because IP leads to the development of new products. Moreover, data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that the amount of IP coming to the U.S. increased significantly after passage of the 2017 tax reform law.

The global angle: Other countries, including U.S. competitors, have policies in place to encourage companies to locate their IP in their own nations. If the U.S. scraps FDII, other countries might pull ahead.

What we’re saying: “This important provision is working as intended to support the people who create things in America,” according to 51�Թ��� Senior Director of Tax Policy David Eiselsberg. “Keeping FDII in place is key to supporting U.S. innovation, job growth and competitiveness.”

Washington, D.C. – The 51�Թ��� released a study on the damaging effects of proposed changes by the administration to the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income regime under consideration. The analysis, prepared by EY’s Quantitative Economics and Statistics (QUEST) group, finds that the proposed rate increase, expansion of amounts subject to tax and changes to the method of calculation would have a destructive effect on U.S. employment and economic growth.

“Policymakers should want the next manufacturing dollar spent right here in America. But these proposed tax changes would reduce investment and lead to job losses in the United States, harming manufacturers and manufacturing workers,” said 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons. “In a global economy, U.S. and foreign business activity is interconnected, and we should be doing everything we can to level the playing field, not tilt it against manufacturers in America who are leading our post-pandemic recovery.”

Key findings on the reduction in U.S. jobs and investment:

• The proposed changes to GILTI would reduce domestic employment of globally engaged U.S. firms by between 500,000 and 1 million lost jobs.
• The proposed changes to GILTI would reduce domestic investment of globally engaged U.S. firms by between $10 billion and $20 billion.

Read “Estimated impacts of proposed changes to GILTI provision on US domestic economic activity” here.

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The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

While Americans have largely focused in recent months on the recovery and renewal of our domestic economy, manufacturers also recognize the critical importance of global markets for their success. That makes trade agreements incredibly important—and underscores the urgency of renewing Trade Promotion Authority, a current focus of the 51�Թ���.

We recently spoke to 51�Թ��� Vice President of International Economic Affairs Ken Monahan about this essential issue.

What it is: Trade Promotion Authority is a legislative framework between Congress and the executive branch that details the priorities and consultative process for U.S. trade negotiations. Essentially, said Monahan, Congress lays out its trade negotiation objectives and oversight obligations in TPA legislation, and in exchange, the president is able to negotiate trade agreements that will ultimately receive an up or down vote in Congress.

Why it matters: TPA can help ensure that new trade deals will reflect the priorities of manufacturers in the United States, said Monahan. With 95% of consumers living outside U.S. borders, and with more than 6 million U.S. manufacturing jobs depending on exports, trade agreements are needed to give manufacturers access to other markets on the right terms.

• “From a business perspective, having a TPA that reflects the priorities of manufacturers on the front end is vitally important,” said Monahan. “We are urging the Biden administration to prioritize a robust trade agenda that will open markets with countries with which we don’t already have agreements.”
• “We’re rightly focused on the domestic market, including through our support for the infrastructure package moving through Congress, but manufacturers also need to be able to compete overseas and access markets around the world.”

Where we are: To date, the Biden administration hasn’t detailed a strategy for the negotiation of new trade agreements. TPA was last passed by Congress in 2015, but that authority expired at the end of June.

What manufacturers want: Last year, the 51�Թ��� manufacturers’ priorities for trade agreements in comments submitted to the U.S. International Trade Commission. “In broad strokes, manufacturers want four things with respect to trade agreements,” said Monahan.

• “First, reverse unfair trade barriers that impede our ability to export.”
• “Second, protect intellectual property through technology leadership and innovation.”
• “Third, raise global standards to ensure a level playing field and ensure that other countries have standards that are consistent with ours.”
• “And fourth, codify respect for the rule of law and the pivotal role of free markets around the world.”

What the 51�Թ��� is doing: The 51�Թ��� has been leading the charge on TPA, ramping up engagements in recent weeks with members of Congress and the Biden administration. Most recently, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons President Biden to work with Congress without delay to renew TPA.

The last word: “The United States needs to be back in the game,” said Monahan. “Our trading partners are negotiating agreements among themselves that are excluding the United States. Manufacturers need to access new markets. We need more exports that support good-paying jobs. And in order to accomplish that, we need to get off the sidelines and negotiate new trade agreements that will support growth here at home by reducing barriers faced by manufacturers around the world.”

Washington, D.C. – Following U.S. Senate passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released this statement:

“The Senate’s passage of this historic, bipartisan legislation is a tremendous achievement and a credit to President Biden and the group of senators who met across the aisle to address our country’s longstanding infrastructure needs. This is the type of infrastructure investment manufacturers have long championed, and the bipartisan approach shows that our legislators can indeed still come together to accomplish transformational change. We now urge members of the House to follow the Senate’s example, pass this bipartisan bill and send it to the president’s desk for his signature without delay.

“The more than 12 million men and women of manufacturing are counting on Congress to get this done—because it will renew and revitalize our nation’s physical infrastructure, improving productivity and quality of life for everybody, without erasing the tax reforms that helped manufacturers keep our promises to innovate, hire more employees, raise wages and benefits and reinvest in communities.

“The 51�Թ��� has led the charge for historic investments in infrastructure for years, as outlined in our infrastructure blueprint, ‘Building to Win,’ and many of its recommendations are in the final Senate bill. The bill also includes a range of actions that the 51�Թ��� calls for in our climate policy plan, ‘The Promise Ahead,’ along with many of the 51�Թ���’s supply chain and permitting goals, which are laid out in ‘Strengthening the Manufacturing Supply Chain.’

“With world-class infrastructure enhancing our competitiveness, manufacturers will be better prepared to help build an economy that lifts up all Americans and enables us to lead through this century and into the next.”

Find a list of key 51�Թ��� priorities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act here.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org

Washington, D.C. – Following the announcement of the budget resolution introduced today, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons issued this statement.

“Budget resolutions are a statement of principles from the majority party and the beginning of a lengthy process. And while leaders may seek to achieve many laudable goals through this process, manufacturers have serious concerns that some of the proposals—chiefly, the possibility of rolling back job-creating tax reforms to meet the tax increase revenue projections—would be devastating for America’s manufacturing workers.

“The primary goal here should be building an opportunity society, in which all Americans can pursue their dreams. It needs to create good jobs and maintain a strong social safety net. That means upholding the values that have long made America exceptional—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.

“Returning to the archaic tax policies of the past, however, does not foster an opportunity society. It will stifle job creation in America. It would restrain America’s job creators from continuing to lead our economic recovery—including the manufacturers who have worked tirelessly to support our country through the pandemic. As many as 1 million American jobs would be lost in just the first two years if these kinds of tax policies were adopted, depriving Americans of rewarding career opportunities. The goal of our nation’s leaders should be to make the tax code more competitive, not less. Manufacturers kept their promises after the 2017 tax reform law. 2018 was the best year for manufacturing job creation in more than two decades. Wages soared, and manufacturers invested in their people and communities. Why would anyone want to undo that progress?

“Manufacturers are also concerned by indications there will be efforts and proposals that would restrict the ability of lifesaving pharmaceutical manufacturers to drive innovation in the United States. And we would also oppose attempts that have been mentioned to impose the anti-worker PRO Act because such actions would harm the productive relationship that so many manufacturing workers and employers have cultivated. They would rob many of their right to work, deny them the ability to communicate freely, invade their privacy and even force them to pay union dues.

“This is not how we build an economy that works for everyone. This is how we short-circuit an economic recovery and give other countries a competitive edge. The bipartisan infrastructure bill would be a giant step forward for our country, but a successful effort to roll back tax reforms would be a bigger step backward.

“Many Americans feel left behind today. Some feel left behind amid the pandemic-induced economic turmoil, others because they sensed the system didn’t work for them even before the pandemic. Lawmakers must continue working to lift up all Americans and build a true opportunity society. In the judgment of manufacturers in America, this resolution and the stated intentions of those who are drafting it do not achieve that worthy objective.”

Background on the manufacturing sector under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

• Between the enactment of tax reform and the start of COVID-19, the manufacturing industry saw jobs, wages and investments surge.
  • In 2018, manufacturers added 263,000 new jobs. That was the best year for job creation in manufacturing in 21 years.
  • In 2018, manufacturing wages increased 3% and continued going up by 2.8% in 2019 and by 3% in 2020. Those were the fastest rates of annual growth since 2003.
  • Manufacturing capital spending grew by 4.5% and 5.7% in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
  • Overall, manufacturing production grew 2.7% in 2018, with December 2018 being the best month for manufacturing output since May 2008.

Earlier this year, the 51�Թ��� released a major tax study on the effects of proposed tax increases. That study found that 1 million jobs would be lost in just the first two years if those increases were to be implemented.

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler said that the agency will release proposed rules by the end of this year requiring that public companies disclose risks related to climate change, according to .

What they’ll cover: Chairman Gensler indicated that he wants climate disclosures to be “consistent and comparable” and provide decision-useful information to investors. He said staff is considering whether such disclosures would be included in companies’ 10-K filings, whether they would include Scope 1, Scope 2 and/or Scope 3 emissions and whether certain metrics would be required for specific industries.

The challenge: Many manufacturers already voluntarily disclose a significant amount of information about their climate efforts, but an overbroad mandate could impose new cost burdens on companies without providing useful information to shareholders.

What we’re doing: The 51�Թ��� has consistently stood up for manufacturers, encouraging the SEC to adopt a principles-based approach rather than a uniform mandate. Back in June, the 51�Թ���  the manufacturing industry’s perspective for the SEC and provided a list of principles that should guide any eventual disclosure framework. As the process moves forward, the 51�Թ��� will continue to engage with the SEC and advocate for manufacturers.

Learn more: For more information about our principles and the work the 51�Թ��� has been doing in this area, check out

Washington, D.C. – Today, following President Joe Biden’s decision to require vaccinations of all federal employees, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“The lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines were made for us, by people like us—manufacturers in the United States. They are proven, safe and the only way we can save lives, end the pandemic and sustain our economic recovery. Since vaccines became available, manufacturers have been leading by example, helping their employees access vaccines and confidently get vaccinated, and we support all efforts to get more Americans vaccinated so we can beat back COVID-19 and the aggressive delta variant and save lives.

“Through our This Is Our Shot project, the 51�Թ��� and The Manufacturing Institute have equipped manufacturers with resources to help their teams get vaccinated and protect their communities—ranging from videos, graphics and vaccine locators to FAQs and in-depth communications guides. On our own team, the 51�Թ��� achieved a voluntary vaccination rate of 98%, and to ensure our staff and those with whom we interact are as safe as possible, we then made the decision to require vaccinations by mid-September.

“Manufacturers will continue to lead by example and work with the administration to promote vaccination and with our employees and communities to provide them the information they need. The recent surge in cases is a reminder that this pandemic is not over, but with these vaccines, it is within our power to dramatically change the trajectory of this virus.”

-51�Թ���-

The 51�Թ��� is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the 51�Թ��� or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org