Press Release

Gillibrand Announces Bipartisan, Bicameral Made In America Manufacturing Communities Act In Rochester

Feb 24, 2022

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Monroe Community College in Rochester to announce her bipartisan, bicameral Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2022. Based on Gillibrand’s successful Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program, this new program incentivizes private-public partnerships by empowering the Secretary of Commerce to designate consortiums as “Manufacturing Communities,” which would be eligible for federal financial and technical assistance designed to expand and support domestic manufacturing. Gillibrand’s bill would help strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base, encourage domestic public-private partnerships, and help local businesses cut through bureaucratic red tape to address ongoing pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that continue plaguing local economies. She was joined in Rochester by Mayor Malik Evans, former Lieutenant Governor and President & CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Robert Duffy, New York State Assemblymembers Sarah Clark and Jen Lunsford, New York State Senator Samra Brouk, and Monroe Community College Acting Provost & Vice President Kimberly McKinsey-Mabry.

“It’s going to take hard work and smart federal investments to get supply chains back on track after two years of pandemic-related disruptions,” said Senator Gillibrand. “That’s why I’m introducing the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2022 – legislation that uses current federal resources to invest in public-private partnerships building the next generation of leaders in manufacturing. By taking a community-based approach, we can invest in innovative groups, schools, and businesses, just like Monroe Community College, and recruit American workers to help rebuild our national supply chain. New York is already a leader in this space, and this long-term investment will empower businesses to create good-paying manufacturing jobs that fit the needs of individual communities right at home in America.”

“As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need creative solutions to revitalize our national economy,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “I’m proud to support this legislation that will strengthen our manufacturing base and make critical long-term investments in communities like Rochester that have the resources and infrastructure to lead the way in this industry. I’m grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her leadership and look forward to our continued work together to support American manufacturing.”

“As outlined in an analysis by MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, the Greater Rochester region is ranked number one in the nation as ripe for technological and economic investment and growth. With 19 nationally and internationally renowned higher education institutions to provide much-needed talent, world-class facilities like STAMP and Eastman Business Park which are primed to host new semiconductor jobs and factories, and a long history of cutting-edge technological research and development, particularly in the optics and photonics space, Rochester is perfectly suited for the designation as a Manufacturing Community. Greater Rochester Chamber and our 1,300 members commend Senator Gillibrand for her leadership on the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2022, and emphatically support Greater Rochester as a winning location for innovation investment,” said Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy.

Thank you to Senator Gillibrand for sponsoring this critical legislation. This bill provides the kind of economic on-ramp communities like ours need to reclaim our position as a manufacturing leader. The Public-Private partnerships this bill forges will help leverage the resources of institutions like MCC, with their incredible new advanced manufacturing program, to train our existing workforce for the jobs we need here in Monroe County.  We have been building America for over two hundred years and this bill will help us keep building for two hundred more,” said New York State Assemblymember Jen Lunsford.

Gillibrand’s Made in America program is a successor to the experimental, Obama-era “Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership” (IMCP). The Economic Development Administration operated the IMCP between 2014 and 2015 and successfully enrolled 24 locally-organized public-private consortiums. In addition to Commerce assistance, approved Made in America Manufacturing Communities in Gillibrand’s new proposal would have access to technical assistance from other federal agencies, giving them a leg up in accessing a wide array of federal grants. Specifics on Made in America eligibility and investments:

  • Eligible consortiums include but are not limited to partnerships between commercial industry, state and local government organizations, and academic or workforce training organizations to convene community stakeholders and set the foundation for long-term investments in manufacturing communities.
  • Eligible consortiums can be designated as a Manufacturing Community for a 5-year period, after which they can apply for re-designation for two additional 2-year periods. 
  • Approved Manufacturing Communities will receive assistance and investments in equipment or facility upgrades; workforce training, retraining, or recruitment and retention; business incubators; advanced research and commercialization; supply chain development; assistance for small business concerns; and strategic planning assistance for consortiums that lack experience applying for federal assistance.

In addition to Senator Gillibrand, the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2022 is supported by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Jerry Moran (R-KS). In the House of Representatives, the bill is supported by Congressmen David Cicilline (D-RI-1) and Peter Meijer (R-MI-3).

The bipartisan bill is endorsed by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition, National Association of Development Organizations, National Association of Counties, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, National Tooling and Machining Association, North American Die Casting Association, Precision Machined Products Association, Precision Metalforming Association, and the National Skills Coalition.

For the full bill text, please click here.

For more information on the bill, please click here.