The U.S. equipment manufacturing industry supports 1.3 million good-paying jobs and contributes roughly $159 billion to our economy each year. When our industry is strong, America is strong. To ensure that equipment manufacturers continue to prosper and reach their full potential, we need Washington to promote a strong manufacturing agenda. That’s why the I Make America Town Hall Tour brought policy experts to shop floors across the country this year to educate our supporters and urge them to tell their elected officials to support pro-growth, pro-manufacturing policies.
To make sure all of our supporters stay up-to-date on the issues that impact their jobs and their communities, especially as they evaluate candidates during this year’s election, we have prepared the following overview our industry’s top policy priorities:
Top Issues
TRADE
Pro-growth trade policies keep the U.S. equipment manufacturing industry strong and workers employed. Breaking down trade barriers helps manufacturers grow exports and create American jobs while improving our country’s competitiveness in an increasingly interconnected economy.
Recent trade policies imposed by the Trump administration have hurt our industry and the U.S. economy. Tariffs or quotas on steel imports raises costs for equipment manufacturers in the United States and cause other countries to put tariffs on U.S. goods and agricultural products that disproportionally hurt America’s rural economy.
That’s why we need elected officials in Washington who will pass trade agreements that help our industry grow by reaching more customers outside the United States and incentivizing investment in U.S. manufacturing. Competing in the global economy is tough enough, we need trade policies that help our industry grow.
To learn more about trade policy priorities, visit www.aem.org/advocacy.
INFRASTRUTURE
Equipment manufacturers support a comprehensive approach to help reclaim America’s infrastructure advantage and give a boost to our economy. Transportation construction supports 48,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs every year, and $508 billion in total economy activity is generated by transportation construction. We need Washington to promote greater investment in our nation’s infrastructure so we can create more jobs for Americans. And polls show that voters overwhelmingly want the federal government to act on infrastructure.
That’s why it’s time for us to make sure that our elected officials in Washington who are committed to passing a comprehensive infrastructure bill that includes long-term funding solutions.
To learn more about infrastructure policy priorities, visit www.aem.org/advocacy/the-u-s-infrastructure-advantage.
AGRICULTURE POLICY
Strong agricultural communities make for a strong U.S. equipment manufacturing industry. 320,000 agricultural equipment manufacturing workers depend on U.S. farmers and ranchers prospering and reinvesting in their businesses. However, the recent multi-year slump in farm income has caused the agricultural equipment manufacturing industry to lose 55,000 jobs.
That’s why it’s critical that we have lawmakers in Washington who support pro-agriculture and pro-manufacturing policies. This includes the 2018 Farm Bill, the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018, and a strong Renewable Fuel Standard.
To learn more visit www.aem.org/advocacy.
Election related reminders:
Election Day 2018: Tuesday, November 6.
For most of your election related information needs, please visit our resources page here:
www.imakeamerica.com/resources/
By visiting that page you’ll find information on:
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- Who your current elected officials are
- State Election Information
- Election Guides & Information
- Voting Records
Inquiries about ways to get involved or to learn more, contact Abby Lannoye at alannoye@aem.org.
