“Tonight marks the end of one of the most contentious elections in our nation’s history. While many are celebrating tonight, others are disappointed—some with the results, some with the process. It’s time for healing, and that work must begin now,” said Timmons.
“Manufacturing and business leaders from across the country have pledged to rebuild trust in our democratic and economic institutions so that we can ensure our exceptional country offers abundant opportunity to all.
“Regardless of political party affiliation, the president of the United States deserves the respect of all Americans, and for the sake of our country, manufacturers want our next president to stand tall on the world stage and stand up for America’s entrepreneurs. We will do our part, sharing our ideas and our expertise with President-elect Trump and the 115th Congress to lead by example and set a productive tone for this next chapter in our nation’s history. At the same time, we will celebrate and defend the values that make our nation great; chief among those are free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity. Manufacturers expect our newly elected leaders to worry less about the powerful political extremes and concern themselves solely with solutions that will lift all Americans up and leave no one behind. These solutions, which the NAM will lay out in detail over the next several weeks, must be the focus of our policymakers if we truly want to see widespread growth and prosperity in this country.
“This election makes clear that Americans agree that manufacturing is the nation’s priority. They want our industry to lead the world and create more jobs. They know that when manufacturing is strong, America is strong. It will be up to us to channel that enthusiasm towards the right policies.”
Signatures for the letter, and these important commitments from business leaders, were gathered over a period of nearly two weeks, well before the results of the election were known. The effort was initiated by Timmons; Tenneco Inc. Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair Gregg Sherrill; and Emerson Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair-elect David Farr. To view the letter, click here.
—Jennifer Drogus / NAM
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.17 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States.