Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Statement Regarding President Obama's CNBC Town Hall

Vigorous leadership needed to ensure jobs in America

MILWAUKEE, Wis., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Association of Equipment Manufacturers President Dennis Slater issued the following statement after CNBC's Town Hall with President Obama:

President Obama's town hall today in partnership with CNBC was an opportunity to explain to the nation's job creators how government and the private sector can work together to improve our ailing economy. While the theme of the event was "Investing in America," few specifics were offered in the way of new manufacturing policies that will create jobs and stimulate growth.  

America's manufacturing base – the backbone of a strong economy – is shrinking. Washington struggles with a vision for putting people back to work.  Yet there are two fundamental things Congress and the President can do to help American manufacturers expand job growth:

• Generate economic activity by rebuilding and modernizing America's infrastructure – roads, bridges, sewer, clean water and flood control systems. The President recognized the need for "long-term investments" in our nation's infrastructure and, though also noting that "there's no free lunch," disappointingly did not call for a fully funded, multi-year reauthorization of the federal highway bill, which is now a year overdue.
• Help our farmers and manufacturers create more jobs in the U.S. by exporting their products to new markets around the world. Congress should act upon three idle export agreements before adjourning: South Korea, Columbia and Panama. Twelve million U.S. jobs depend on exports, and failure by our political leaders to take immediate action only puts existing jobs at risk.

Until some vigorous leadership is exercised to ensure these things are done, jobs will continue to vanish, America's economy will continue to suffer and our competitive position in the world will be threatened.

About the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) - www.aem.org

AEM is the North American-based international trade group providing innovative business development resources to advance the off-road equipment manufacturing industry in the global marketplace. AEM membership comprises more than 800 companies and 200-plus product lines in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors worldwide. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices in the capitals of Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Beijing and a European presence in Brussels.

SOURCE Association of Equipment Manufacturers