American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support passage of H.R. 4923, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation creates an open and transparent process for the House to consider manufacturing tax cuts through the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB). This new process corrects distortions in the U.S. tariff code that place an unnecessary and anti-competitive tax on manufacturers, retailers and other businesses across the country that rely on imported products not available domestically.

As an active promoter of free trade, I want to commend my good friend and fellow Texan, Congressman Brady for steering this important legislation to the House floor. I thank him for consulting with me on the development of this legislation, and I am pleased to support his efforts to ensure swift passage of this critical bill. Our partnership was memorialized in the exchange of letters contained in the Ways and Means Committee's report on the measure.

Congress has not renewed MTBs since the U.S. Manufacturing Enhancement Act in 2010 expired at the end of 2012. Since then, U.S. businesses faced an annual $748 million tax increase on manufacturing with an overall economic loss of $1.875 billion for the U.S. economy.

The new MTB process will help American manufacturers compete in the global market while also ensuring a transparent and public process for consideration of MTBs. U.S. businesses will be able to petition the independent, non-partisan International Trade Commission (ITC), explaining the need for a specific tariff reduction or suspension. The ITC will then be able to issue a public report to Congress analyzing the request and whether or not it meets MTB standards, including that there is no domestic production. Congress would then be able to consider the bill within existing House Rules.

Small businesses and manufacturers across the country have long voiced their support for this new process. I am proud to have worked with Congressman Brady to ensure passage of this job creating legislation.

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