Donald Riegle: “I rise in support of S. 4, the National Competitiveness Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation.…”

“I rise in support of S. 4, the National Competitiveness Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. This bill reauthorizes and expands a number of important technology programs, such as the Advanced Technology Program and the manufacturing extension partnership. We need to invest in advanced technology, especially in the development of new technologies that are emerging as the industries of the future. Millions of valuable new jobs can come from these vital sectors if we wake-up and prevent their loss to aggressive foreign competitors. The provisions contained in this bill are especially important to reinvigorating our manufacturing base. Manufacturing is the heart of our economy; it keeps the lifeblood of the economy flowing. Manufacturing is the key to maintaining middle-class jobs that are the backbone of our Nation--jobs that pay middle-class incomes with health care protection and pension benefits. These are the jobs we are losing. The number of manufacturing jobs, after growing on a fairly steady basis since the end of World War II, peaked in 1979. Since then, we have lost almost 3 million manufacturing jobs. In 1990, only 18 percent of the U.S. work force was in manufacturing. In Japan, 24.1 percent work in manufacturing; in Germany the number is 31.5 percent. This loss of jobs has resulted in a decline in earnings for working Americans.”