posted on 01.26.12

Bloomberg News (1/25, Brower, Dodge) reports that in President Obama’s State of the Union address, he laid out “what he calls a ‘blueprint’ for revitalizing the economy, emphasizing a rebirth for US manufacturing, bolstering domestic energy production and training workers.”

AFP (1/25, Handley) reports, “Obama has proposed radically shifting the US economy back to a manufacturing base after decades of ceding jobs in goods production to factory-heavy countries such as China” Obama “proposed new policies aimed at helping US manufacturing and dissuading companies from shifting jobs overseas. They included tax breaks for more investment and job creation inside the country, support for education and research that feeds the manufacturing sector, and stepped-up protection against subsidized imports and pirated goods — with China named as the main target.” The National Association of Manufacturers delivered a sharp response to Obama’s speech in which it appeared to adopt his Republican rivals’ argument that the sector is mainly hindered by regulations and high corporate taxes. “The Obama administration must take action to put an end to the rampant overregulation and overreach’ by federal labor and environmental regulators, the group’s president Jay Timmons said in a statement.”
In the press release, the National Association of Manufacturers (1/25) President and CEO also said, “We need action on comprehensive tax reform that will lower the corporate tax rate so that we can compete for investment across the globe. Tax reform must also lower the rates of the 65 percent of manufacturers that file as individuals for the good of the economy and jobs. An aggressive trade policy that opens new markets is essential so America does not stand idle while other nations move into those markets. As consumers of one-third of our nation’s energy supply, manufacturers embrace a true ‘all-of-the-above’ energy policy – not one subject to the political winds.”

Obama’s Energy Production Proposals Described As A Step Closer To The GOP’s Agenda. Politico (1/25, Samuelsohn), in an article titled, “Obama Steals GOP’s Energy Slogan,” says the President “stepped onto a touchy patch of Republican turf” by “calling for sharp increases in oil and natural gas production, even stealing the GOP’s ‘all of the above’ energy slogan. Under a daily barrage of criticism from GOP White House rivals who say his energy policies have strangled the nation’s economic recovery, Obama turned the tables by touting record levels in fossil fuel production and called for the opening of 75 percent of potential offshore resources. … The president made no mention…of the Keystone XL pipeline or Solyndra, the two energy issues that have become regular punching bags for his GOP critics.”

Michigan Papers Highlight Obama’s Praise For Auto Industry. The Detroit News (1/25, Shepardson) reports that the President “hailed the turnaround of the auto industry, calling it a model for boosting manufacturing. … He called for new taxes on companies that outsource jobs and tax cuts for companies bringing jobs home and vowed new incentives to increase manufacturing.”

The Detroit Free Press (1/25, A1, Spangler), in a front-page article reports the President “cit[ed] a resurgent auto industry in Detroit as proof government can do good,” and “unveiled…an updated plan to attract manufacturing jobs, retrain workers and punish companies that try to park cash overseas.” The Free Press also notes that “two Michiganders – one a retrained lab technician from Holland, the other a plant manager at General Motors’ Orion Assembly – were invited to sit with first lady Michelle Obama. … On Wednesday, Obama will set out on a…five-state tour that concludes Friday morning at the University of Michigan, where he will discuss retraining for workers and the need for colleges to hold down tuition costs.”

USA Today (1/25, Woodyard) also reports that “a resurgent auto industry is helping lead the way out with a hiring surge of an estimated 60,000 jobs this year. President Obama underscored the point Tuesday night…pointing to the auto industry as an example of a US factory-floor rebound. ‘Tonight, the American auto industry is back,’ Obama declared, noting that General Motors is again the world’s largest automaker.”

Update provided in partnership with the National Association of Manufacturers