MEMA President and CEO Bill Long issued a statement on behalf of motor vehicle suppliers this week following the passage of S.1260: The Endless Frontier Act.
Sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), S.1260 establishes a Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the National Science Foundation (NSF) and establishes various programs and activities. According to Congress.gov, “The goals of the directorate shall be, among other things, the strengthening of U.S. leadership in critical technologies through basic research in key technology focus areas, such as artificial intelligence, high performance computing, and advanced manufacturing, and the commercialization of those technologies to businesses in the United States.”
In a statement, Long said:
“MEMA members are very pleased that S.1260, the Endless Frontier Act, passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate. Thank you, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN), for drafting and passing a bill that started with enhancing the National Science Foundation and added important provisions that will help U.S. manufacturer innovation and competitiveness and secure U.S. global economic leadership.
“We especially appreciate the leadership of Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to include $2 billion for motor vehicle legacy chip production. This measure will help prevent future semiconductor chip crises in the automotive and commercial vehicle sector. The trade language that was championed by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), requiring the reinstatement of China 301 tariff exclusions, will also be helpful to MEMA members.
“We at MEMA appreciate our close working relationships with the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) and the UAW that allowed us to address issues of common concern and bring this important measure over the finish line.
“On behalf of 1,000 MEMA member companies, I applaud the Senate for doing the right thing for the 900,000 U.S. employees in the vehicle supplier sector and for protecting the long-term competitiveness of our country. Now, MEMA will work to get this bill passed by the House and signed by the President.”
