Politics & Government

Sen. Bob Casey Visits Area, Talks Manufacturing

Growth strategies were discussed with local businesses.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, met with local manufacturers in Washington County on Friday to discuss strategies to strengthen the manufacturing industry and help Pennsylvania recover jobs lost to foreign competition and unfair trade practices.

At the meeting, Casey announced a JEC hearing on manufacturing to occur later this month.

“Pennsylvania has added 15,000 manufacturing jobs since the end of 2009,” Casey said. “That is a good start, but we have a long way to go to recover the jobs lost to foreign competition in the past 10 years.

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“We need a comprehensive manufacturing strategy to help businesses expand, innovate and create jobs. My meeting (on Fri)day with small manufacturers from the Pittsburgh region gave me valuable insight that I will take to Washington(, D.C.,) to develop a strategy to revitalize our manufacturing industry.”

At the meeting at Universal Electric Corporation, Casey discussed several of his priorities aimed at strengthening the manufacturing industry, including cracking down on China’s currency manipulation, making the research-and-development tax credit permanent, investing in students and workforce training, and supporting workers who have lost their jobs to foreign competition.

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Sen. Casey heard from representatives from several local manufacturers, including All-Clad Metalcrafters and Accutrex in Canonsburg Borough, Sima Products in Pittsburgh, Ace Wire and Spring & Form Company in McKees Rocks Borough, Industrial Scientific in Oakdale Borough and Nokomis in Charleroi Borough.

Representatives from the Pittsburgh Technology Council and the Washington Greene County Job Training Agency, Inc., were also present to discuss the importance of an educated workforce and the need to combat unfair trade practices that cost Pennsylvania jobs.

At the meeting, Sen. Casey announced a JEC hearing titled “Manufacturing in the USA: Why We Need a National Manufacturing Strategy” to be held on Wednesday, June 22.

Casey strongly supports the Workforce Investment Act to make job-training programs more efficient across the country. He has also urged President Barack Obama to halt free-trade agreements for Colombia, Panama and South Korea until Congress agrees to a long-term extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance.

Both state Rep. Jesse White, D-, and state Sen. Tim Solobay, D-, attended the meeting on Friday.

“One thing you hear often is that government doesn’t and shouldn’t create jobs," White said after the roundtable discussion, “but what I heard throughout the business community was that they didn’t just want government assistance but need it.”

The legislator said that workforce development, education programs and a research-and-deveopment tax credit were all brought up for discussion and are things that business and government can work together to implement.

“We need to be concentrating on this common ground,” White said.


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