Sharice Davids: Celebrate Independence Day by investing in more American manufacturing

As we gather this Fourth of July with friends and family, we might celebrate with fireworks, parades and burgers — myself included — but what we’re really celebrating are our American values. This is a nation of innovators, of doers and makers, and it has been since the first Independence Day.

But over the last few decades, we’ve lost jobs — lost entire industries — overseas. That became unavoidably clear as the pandemic upended the global economy and tangled supply chains. But the reality is that we’ve been reliant on goods made in other countries for far too long, and it’s been steadily eroding our competitive edge.

This Independence Day, it’s time to take that edge back by investing in the innovation and spirit that got us here. It’s time to make more in America.

We’ve seen sparks of that innovative spirit throughout the last few years. When our medical supply chains ground to a halt and front-line workers had no choice but to reuse personal protective equipment, putting themselves at risk, our small and mid-sized manufacturers stepped up. Companies here in Kansas pivoted their production to the masks and gowns that our health care workers desperately needed.

That’s the homegrown flexibility we need to support — and it’s why I introduced legislation to make more medical supplies here at home, especially during times of emergency.

But not every industry had that opportunity to pivot. In Kansas City, Kansas, a General Motors plant sat idle for seven months last year because of the semiconductor chips shortage. I’ve spoken with the union autoworkers who were off the line all those months, out of work through no fault of their own. They were victims of a trend that came to a head last year: Chip production has almost entirely moved overseas since 2000, as the U.S. has steadily lost a quarter of its manufacturing jobs.

That trend hasn’t just hurt the auto industry. I’ve visited with medical suppliers who serve kids with respiratory illnesses — kids who are waiting to receive pediatric oxygen machines that rely on chips to function. Those waitlists are growing longer and longer. All of these supply chain snags are driving up prices for folks at the car dealership, in the grocery store and at the gas pump. We need to reverse the trends and invest in American workers and American manufacturing. Strong domestic industry will avoid costly delays and bring down inflation.

I’m working with Republicans and Democrats, including GOP Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, to pass legislation that addresses the immediate issues — for example, by investing in domestic chip manufacturing to keep our autoworkers on the job and get lifesaving medical devices to the kids who need them — and that takes a long-term view of American competitiveness.

That means supporting technical education and apprenticeship programs that help fill in-demand jobs in advanced engineering, construction and manufacturing. Just last week, I was in Overland Park shadowing a mechanical apprentice on a job site. Our workforce is our future, and we need to make sure we’re growing it in the right places to compete globally.

It also means building resilient, flexible supply chains. We have a convergence of supply chains here in our area, from rail to air cargo to trucking. Agricultural goods, consumer products, and raw materials come through here on their way to other states and other countries. As I tell the folks in Washington often, if the Kansas 3rd District is moving, America’s moving. And that means we are uniquely positioned to help win this supply chain battle — with the right policy.

I’ve been to textile manufacturers, electric battery makers and short-line railroad hubs — all right here in our district. I can tell you that we have the grit, the creativity and the talent to compete against countries like China.

I’m ready to start betting on our team. This Independence Day, I’m calling on my colleagues in the House and the Senate to join me. There’s no better way to celebrate our history than by reinvesting in American innovation and standing up to China. We’ve made good, bipartisan progress so far, and I stand ready to continue our work across the aisle and get this legislation to the president’s desk. Then, we can get to the fireworks.

Sharice Davids represents Kansas’ 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.