WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) introduced legislation this week that would support American manufacturing and incentivize businesses to increase domestic production. The Made in America Act of 2017 [H.R. 3850] creates a voluntary, standardized labeling program that would allow consumers to easily identify the extent to which products are American-made.

“American manufacturing means American jobs. People in my community understand that when they buy American they’re not only buying quality products, they’re helping American businesses – and American workers – in their neighborhoods and across the country,” said Fitzpatrick. “The Made in America Act would connect American consumers to American manufacturers like never before by creating a definitive, standardized definition of American-made goods. I’m grateful for the support of Congresswoman Sinema in working to advance this bipartisan priority.”

“Helping American consumers purchase American-made products is a win-win,” said Sinema. “It’s simple: buying American-made products supports American jobs and gives America consumers what they want. I’ll continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Arizona businesses, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs have the support they need to grow and thrive.”

The Made in America Act would encourage and educate consumers on buying “Made In America” products by creating an ‘America Star Program’ similar to the successful Energy Star and USDA Certified Organic programs. The new voluntary program would encourage manufacturers to meet certain domestic manufacturing benchmarks, showing the percentage of the product made in the U.S.A., while providing consumers an easy way to identify American made products. The Federal Trade Commission would be responsible for overseeing the development of the guidelines, labeling and enforcement. The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

• Michael Araten, President & CEO of K’NEX – Hatfield, PA: "I urge Congress to pass this bipartisan bill. Making products in America supports both economic security and national security. We control our own destiny as a nation by manufacturing in America. I applaud Congressman Fitzpatrick and the Problem Solvers Caucus for working together to improve the lives of all Americans"

• Rob Wonderling, President & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia - “The Chamber applauds Congressman Fitzpatrick for his leadership in supporting our small, medium, and large manufacturers.  Midsized manufacturers, specifically, are contributing more than 100,000 jobs and $30 billion in revenue regionally.   It is vital that we champion initiatives, such as Congressman Fitzpatrick’s Made in America Act of 2017, that drive continued growth and investment in manufacturing while also strengthening our exporters’ competitive advantage.”