MANUFACTURING UPDATE

- JULY 2014 -

1. LATEST POLICY
==================================
Passed by the House -- Department of Energy Laboratory Modernization
and Technology Transfer Act
The House passed H.R. 5120, the Department of Energy Laboratory Modernization and
Technology Transfer Act of 2014, on suspension on July 22. The bill is a companion to the
America INNOVATES Act (S. 1973), sponsored by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marco Rubio (R-
FL).

Both bills increase the flexibility of the national lab system, allow more flexibility to work with
the private sector, and vertically integrate the Department of Energys energy and science
research.

H.R. 5120 was introduced by Reps. Hultgran (R-IL-14) and Kilmer (D-WA-6), and is cosponsored
by Reps. Fattah (D-PA-2), Johnson (D-TX-30), Lipinski (D-IL-3), Lujan (D-NM-3), Lummis (R-WY),
Nunnelee (R-MS-1), Smith (R-TX-21), Swalwell (D-CA-15), and Veasey (D-TX-33).
More: Kilmer press release

Presidential actions -- Improving workforce training
A new White House report, compiled by Vice President Biden, details strategies for improving
federal workforce training. The report outlines new actions the Administration will take to
strengthen program coordination and accountability, expand investment in apprenticeships and
effective on-the-job training, and enable federal agencies to pilot promising new training
models.

The report includes examples of successful job training programs around the country and a
number of steps the administration is taking to build on the progress Congress achieved by
passing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). These steps include competitive
grants, a job-driven checklist, improved information, and expanding on programs that have been
proven to work.
More: Ready to Work report

Approved out of Committee -- Revitalize American Manufacturing and
Innovation Act
The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology approved H.R. 2996, the Revitalize
American Manufacturing and Innovation Act (RAMI), out of Committee by voice vote.

RAMI is the House companion to Sen. Brown (D-OH) and Blunts (R-MO) National Network of
Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), also known as the Hubs Bill. Both bills bring together
industry, academia, and government to accelerate manufacturing innovation and bridge the gap
between basic research and product development.
More: Markup

Introduced and voted on -- Bring Jobs Home Act
Sens. Pryor (D-AR), Stabenow (D-MI), and Walsh (D-MT) introduced the Bring Jobs Home Act,
which closes a tax loophole that pays for companies for moving jobs overseas. It also provides a
20% tax credit to help companies with the cost of bringing jobs back to America. The bill was
cosponsored by Sens. Baldwin (D-WI), Blumenthal (D-CT), Coons (D-DE), Durbin (D-IL), Franken
(D-MN), Hagan (D-NC), Klobuchar (D-MN), Markey (D-MA), McCaskill (D-MO), Merkley (D-OR),
Reed (D-RI), Rockefeller (D-WV), Schatz (D-HI), Schumer (D-NY), Shaheen (D-NH), Udall (D-CO),
Udall (D-NM), Warner (D-VA), and Whitehouse (D-RI).

Sen. Stabenow said: "It's outrageous that, right now, American workers are paying through the
tax code to ship their own jobs overseas. We need to close this indefensible loophole and
instead start rewarding the companies that are doing the right thing and bringing jobs back to
America.

The bill was brought to the floor at the end of July, but the Senate failed to agree to cloture to
end debate.
More: Stabenow release | Walsh release

Introduced -- COMPETES Act
Sens. Rockefeller (D-WV) and Coons (D-DE) introduced the America COMPETES Reauthorization
Act of 2014. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Durbin (D-IL), Nelson (D-FL), Pryor (D-AR), and
Markey (D-MA).

The COMPETES Act extends and enhances federal investments in cutting-edge research and
education. The bill builds on the America COMPETES Act of 2007 and its 2010 reauthorization.
The legislation authorizes stable and sustained increases in R&D funding for the National Science
Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The bill also
promotes the economic benefits of promising R&D and addresses agency efforts to increase
participation in STEM fields, particularly among women and minorities.
More: Coons release

Introduced -- Manufacturing Universities
Sens. Graham (R-SC) and Coons (D-DE) introduced bipartisan legislation to help schools
strengthen their engineering programs to meet the growing demands of 21
st
century
manufacturing. The bill would designate 25 universities as Manufacturing Universities.
Designated schools would receive $5 million per year for four years to meet specific goals,
including focusing engineering programs on manufacturing, building new partnerships with
manufacturing firms, growing training opportunities, and fostering manufacturing
entrepreneurship.

Its critical that our schools and universities equip students for success in manufacturing and
contribute to the research and development that drives advanced manufacturing, said Senator
Coons.
More: Coons release


2. OTHER NEWS
==================================
Other News -- Stabenow attends grand opening of Marrone Bio
Innovations manufacturing plant
Senator Stabenow (D-MI) attended the grand opening of the Marrone Michigan Manufacturing
facility in Bangor. Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI) was recently awarded a $10 million loan by
Five Star Bank, backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Business and
Industry Guaranteed Loan program.

"Today's grand opening of the Marrone Michigan Manufacturing facility is great news for
Southwest Michigan and our entire state," said Sen. Stabenow. "We know how to grow things
and make things, so it's no surprise that MBI chose to invest right here in Michigan. It's exciting
to be back at MBI and see new bio-based products being manufactured that are supporting new
jobs, helping our farmers, and protecting our Great lakes."
More: Stabenow press release

Other News -- Sen Cardin Made in Maryland jobs tour
Senator Cardin (D-MD) toured Vorbeck Materials as part of his Made in Maryland Jobs Tour.
Vorbeck is an industry leader in graphene nanotechnology and cutting edge energy storage
solutions.

Vorbeck Materials is at the forefront of turning science fiction into a reality while creating
quality jobs for Marylanders. Through innovation and a strong commitment to their employees,
Vorbeck is a part of the reason why Maryland is a national hub for high-tech jobs. I want to
ensure that the federal government continues to be a partner, not an obstacle, to their growth,"
said Senator Cardin.
More: Cardin press release

Other News -- Pryor hosts manufacturing summit
Senator Pryor (D-AR) hosted a State of Manufacturing Summit in Little Rock to hear from
companies throughout Arkansas about the challenges they face in todays global marketplace.

Its critical that we create a better environment for Arkansas companiesand their workers
who build and buy products made in the USA, Pryor said. Todays summit is an opportunity to
hear from companies of all sizes, and in different regions of the state about proposals that can
help them better compete and thrive in todays marketplace. I plan to take the input I received
today back to Washington and get something done to make our state and nation stronger.

Pryor asked company officials to discuss their companys outlook and challenges, as well as any
recommendations that might create more jobs in the future.
More: Pryor press release

Floor Speech -- Sen. Walsh
Senator Walsh (D-MT) spoke on the Senate floor about the Bring Jobs Home Act.

Speaking on the floor, the Senator said The answer to disagreements is not do nothing. The
answer is to start with manageable, common sense reforms that everyone can get behind.
Montanans understand this. They know that it is wrong for American workers to subsidize a
corporations decision to pack up business in the U.S. and send our jobs packing.
More: Walsh release

Floor Speech -- Sen. Merkley
Senator Merkely (D-OR) spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of bringing
manufacturing jobs back to America.

As someone who grew up in a blue-collar Oregon family, I know what a difference a good job
makes and will always push to prevent our Oregon jobs from being outsourced. If we dont
make things in America, we wont have a middle class in America, said the Senator.
More: Merkley press release | Merkley speech

Letter -- Merkley, Baldwin ask GAO to look in to trade agreements
Senators Merkely (D-OR) and Baldwin (D-WI) send a letter to the GAO calling for an inquiry into
the impact of trade agreements on the federal governments domestic procurement
preferences, known as Buy American, and the impact this has on U.S. manufacturing. The
Senators urged the agency to update previous findings that trade agreements had not delivered
sufficient commercial value and provide recommendations to ensure there is truly a level
playing field between the U.S. and our trade partners.
More: Merkely press release | Baldwin press release | Letter

Floor Speech -- Sen. Coons
Senator Coons (D-DE) spoke on the Senate floor about the manufacturing universities bill he
introduced, the importance of manufacturing, and how Congress has acted and can continue to
act in this area.

The Senator said, Manufacturing is the foundation of our economy. It is the foundation of
the pathway toward a middle class. Manufacturing jobs pay more in benefits and contribute
more to the local economy than any other sector, fueling growth in other sectors.
Manufacturing is also incredibly innovative. Manufacturers invest the most in research and
development of any industrial sector.

Describing the accomplishments of the Manufacturing Jobs for America (MJA) initiative to date,
Sen. Coons said Together, we have made real progress in moving the ball forward. Already five
of these bills have passed out of committee. Three of them would take further steps to give
startups and small businesses access to the research and development tax credit, which came
out of the Finance Committee. Two others passed as part of a single package to create a
national manufacturing strategy and improve STEM education in our high schools and colleges
that came out of the Commerce Committee. There is no reason that, working together, we can't
get these bipartisan bills passed through the full Senate before the end of this Congress.
More: Coons speech

Presidential Speech -- Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
The President spoke at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College about job training and matching
the unemployed with job openings.

The President said Im here to focus on one thing that we should be doing, which is training
more Americans to fill the jobs were creating. Right now, there are more job openings in
America than any time since 2007. That doesnt always make headlines, it's not sexy so the
news doesnt report it, but its a big deal. And the job training programs can help folks who fell
on hard times in the recession, help them find a solid path back to the middle class.

The remarks went on to focus on recent progress on job training, including the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which included elements of five MJA bills, as well
recent Presidential actions.
More: Presidential remarks | White House blog


2. SECTOR DATA
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Purchasing Managers Index (PMI)
July PMI was 57.1, an increase of 1.8 from the June reading.

The PMI is a widely watched measure of aggregate manufacturing strength. PMI is based on a
survey that asks purchasing managers if Inventories, Supplier Deliveries, Employment,
Production, and New Orders have gone up or down that month. Results above 50 indicate
growth.

For July, Inventories read 48.5 (-4.5), Supplier Deliveries read 54.1 (+2.2 on May), Employment
read 58.2 (+5.4), Production read 61.2 (+1.2), and New orders read 63.4 (+4.5). This data is in
chart form below. August figures will be released on September 2, 2014.
63.4
61.2
58.2
54.1
48.5
57.1
New orders
Production
Employment
Supplier
deliveries
Inventories
PMI
Change on
prior month
+1.8
-4.5
+2.2
+5.4
+1.2
+4.5

More: ISM

Employment
Preliminary estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that manufacturing employment
rose by 16 thousand employees in June, to a seasonally adjusted 12.1 million.

The below chart shows the total number of manufacturing employees over the last ten years in
millions of workers, as well as the month-on-month change in manufacturing employment over
the last six months in thousands. Both numbers are seasonally adjusted.

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Month-on-month change, thousands

More: BLS

Fed Data
The Fed publishes monthly data on industrial production and capacity utilization. Industrial
production is represented as an index where the 2007 level equals 100. Capacity utilization is
shown as percent of capacity.
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In addition to the Feds national data, six of the twelve Federal Reserve regional branches
publish monthly updates on manufacturing conditions in their region. Because each branch
uses different questions and methodology, interregional comparisons are not suggested.
More: Fed

New York Fed (NY state, 12 northern NJ counties, and Fairfield County in CT)
[B]usiness conditions improved significantly for a third consecutive month for New York
manufacturers. The headline general business conditions index climbed six points to 25.6, its
highest level in more than four years.
More: NY Fed

Philadelphia Fed (eastern PA, southern NJ, and DE)
Firms responding to the Business Outlook Survey indicated continued expansion in the regions
manufacturing sector in July. The diffusion index of current general activity increased from a
reading of 17.8 in June to 23.9 this month. The index has remained positive for five consecutive
months and is at its highest reading since March 2011.
More: Philly Fed

Richmond Fed (DC, MD, NC, SC, Virginia & most of WV)
Fifth District manufacturing activity grew moderately in July. Overall, manufacturing
conditions strengthened. The composite index for manufacturing moved up to a reading of 7
following last months reading of 4.
More: Richmond Fed

Chicago Fed (southern WI, IA, northern IL, northern IN, and southern MI)
The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index is currently suspended, while it undergoes a
process of data and methodology revision in 2014. The next release is preliminarily scheduled
for November 26, 2014.
More: Chicago Fed

Kansas City Fed (western MO, NE, KS, OK, WY, CO & northern NM)
Growth in Tenth District manufacturing activity edged higher in July, and producers optimism
for future activity increased. The month-over-month composite index was 9 in July, up from 6
in June but slightly lower than 10 in May.
More: Kansas City Fed

Dallas Fed (TX, northern LA and southern NM)
Texas factory activity increased again in July The production index, a key measure of state
manufacturing conditions, rose from 15.5 to 19.1, indicating output grew at a faster pace than in
June.
More: Dallas Fed

U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO)
May U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $351.9 million, down 10.0% from April, and
down 17.5% when compared with May 2013.

With a year-to-date total of $1,971.8 million, 2014 is down 1.4% compared with 2013.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by
companies participating in the USMTO program. The chart below shows year-over-year change
and total orders on a national and regional basis.
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+17.9
-27.2
-50.3
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-17.5
West
South Central
North Central-West
North Central-East
Southeast
Northeast
Total
351.9
na
30.3
81.8
53.7
na
na
Year-over-year
change (%)
May
orders ($m)

More: AMT


4. ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
==================================
This update is provided by the Office of U.S. Senator Chris Coons on behalf of the Manufacturing
Jobs for America initiative. For more information, visit coons.senate.gov/manufacturing or
email jj_singh@coons.senate.gov or josh_boylan@coons.senate.gov.