CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANUFACTURING FEASIBILITY ACT

On 2025-04-28, Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1) delivered a floor speech titled "CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANUFACTURING FEASIBILITY ACT" in the House.

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANUFACTURING FEASIBILITY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1651-H1652] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1545 CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANUFACTURING FEASIBILITY ACT Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1721) to direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on the feasibility of manufacturing in the United States products for critical infrastructure sectors, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1721 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act''. SEC. 2. STUDY ON CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANUFACTURING IN THE UNITED STATES. (a) Study.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall conduct a study to-- (1) identify, within each critical infrastructure sector, any product that is in high demand and is being imported due to a manufacturing, material, or supply chain constraint in the United States; (2) analyze the costs and benefits of manufacturing in the United States any product identified under paragraph (1), including any effects on-- (A) jobs, employment rates, and labor conditions in the United States; and (B) the cost of the product; (3) identify any product identified under paragraph (1) that feasibly may be manufactured in the United States; and (4) analyze the feasibility of, and any impediments to, manufacturing any product identified under paragraph (3) in-- (A) a rural area; (B) an industrial park; or (C) an industrial park in a rural area. (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall-- (1) submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study required by subsection (a), with recommendations relating to manufacturing in the United States products identified under subsection (a)(3); and (2) make the report available to the public on the website of the Department of Commerce. (c) Limitation on Authority.--This section may not be construed to provide the Secretary of Commerce with authority to compel a person to provide information described in this section. (d) Definition of Critical Infrastructure Sector.--In this section, the term ``critical infrastructure sector'' means each of the 16 designated critical infrastructure sectors identified in Presidential Policy Directive 21 of February 12, 2013 (Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience). The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida. General Leave Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on this particular bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida? There was no objection. Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1721, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act, led by Representative Miller-Meeks, my good friend. She is an outstanding Representative. We are very fortunate to have her on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Mr. Speaker, manufacturing is vital to the United States, not only for economic stability and job creation but for maintaining our global leadership in emerging technologies. To sustain this leadership, it is crucial that we identify and address barriers to making critical products here at home. Otherwise, we risk becoming reliant on countries like China. This legislation will advance domestic manufacturing while safeguarding our economy and national security. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this particular bill, a very important bill, very critical, H.R. 1721, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1721, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act. Our Nation's manufacturing base was once the envy of the world. Unfortunately, it faced steady headwinds for decades. The United States' share of global manufacturing activity declined from 28 percent in 2002 to less than 16 percent in 2021. Fortunately, the work we did under the Biden administration, passing the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act, started to turn the tide. Our Nation added over 700,000 manufacturing jobs during President Biden's time in office. However, we must not allow President Trump to put this great progress in jeopardy with his chaotic trade wars and uncertain tariff policies. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to stand with the domestic manufacturers they claim to support by speaking out against the uncertain market environment that this administration has thrown manufacturing into. We should be working together on commonsense investments and legislation to strengthen domestic supply chains and manufacturing, as we have done before, instead of allowing President Trump and his friends to crash our economy, including the manufacturing sector, with careless policies. H.R. 1721 will commission the Department of Commerce to study the [[Page H1652]] costs, benefits, and feasibility of manufacturing products within critical infrastructure sectors so we can take well-informed and strategic next steps to bolster our Nation's supply chains. I thank our Democratic sponsor, Representative Schrier, for her work on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consumer to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks). Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Bilirakis for yielding. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1721, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act. This bipartisan legislation that I co-lead with Representative Schrier directs the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a comprehensive study examining the feasibility of manufacturing critical infrastructure products here in the United States. At a time when we have a President who is going to make good on the promise to onshore manufacturing and have a resurgence of manufacturing in the United States, there is nothing more important we can do than to reauthorize the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and pass H.R. 1721. The challenges we face regarding our supply chains and manufacturing capabilities have been brought into sharp focus in recent years. We cannot continue to allow foreign competitors, particularly China and the Chinese Communist Party, to control our supply chains and create economic vulnerabilities. Consider our infrastructure and emerging technologies. We have seen how foreign control of critical minerals needed for solar panels and battery production has created bottlenecks in our renewable energy transition and also in the manufacturing of vehicles. Similarly, the components required for data centers that power our artificial intelligence, or augmented intelligence capabilities, are largely manufactured overseas, creating significant vulnerabilities in these strategically important sectors. These examples demonstrate with painful clarity that our Nation's critical infrastructure, spanning 16 designated sectors including energy, communications, transportation, healthcare, military, and more, cannot be dependent on foreign supply chains. This bill takes a measured, data-driven approach to addressing these vulnerabilities. Within one 1 year of enactment, the Secretary of Commerce would be required to identify high-demand critical infrastructure with manufacturing constraints, do a cost-benefit analysis of domestic production, and determine the feasibility of such production. By supporting this bill, we are taking an important step toward rebuilding American manufacturing capability in strategic sectors. We are creating a roadmap for revitalizing rural communities that have been sidelined for far too long while critical infrastructure components are manufactured overseas. This legislation not only shields America from global supply chain disruptions but also identifies which rural areas are well positioned to become manufacturing hubs. The strength of our Nation is enhanced when the materials used in our critical infrastructure and the products Americans purchase are produced domestically and American made. When manufacturing happens on American soil, we retain the innovation, the intellectual property, the economic benefits, and the long-term prosperity that comes with it in rebuilding the middle class. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan measure to strengthen America's critical infrastructure, create opportunities for American workers, and enhance our economic security. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank, again, Representative Miller- Meeks and Representative Schrier for this great piece of legislation. I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this particular bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1721. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. _____

Referenced legislation: HR1721, HR1721