Hello. Im a columnist. The Washington Post and i write about politics and i want to thank you for joining us for our conversation with senator Amy Klobuchar. A member of the Senate Commerce committee and specifically the subcommittee that deals with manufacturing we are testing our technical capabilities here because she is joining us from a car in wisconsin where she is traveling with herin fellow senator and plenty of swing states this year. Yes, i am in the car and im parked so there wont be like a moving background behind me but yes we are doing an event for Vice President joe biden but im excited to be here today because there can be nothing more important besides moving the country forward and focusing on jobs in the economy and in a big way that includes manufacturing. We are here to talk about manufacturing but it also feels like weve had ten years worth of news in the last ten days so ive got to ask you how do you see the state of the president ial race right now and what are the prospects for taking back the senate . I think the last few days have kind of summarized the whole year to me and in so many ways the way the president has handled what was a difficult situation. He got the virus and claims it doesnt dominate anyone and in fact it sent him to the hospital and that was a moment he could have shown leadership and a he failed. He defiantly took offwe his mask as he walked into the white house in front of all of america. Then the debate i think was another defining moment where people at least in my state especially in the suburban areas, people in wisconsin, where i am today, where i think the headline after the debate it said we are repulsed by how rude he was. He interrupted Chris Wallace 145 times and how joe biden tried to put a plan forward when it came to our economy and the pandemic he basically chose to engage in personal attacks. That was a defining moment of the campaign. It wasnt new news for a reporter that had beenn covering him but for some people who were tuning in to make their final decision about who they should vote for i think we are seeing literallyy a drove of voters going to the polls and a widening of the race and it should be helpful in the senate where the republicans havee chosen to ram through a Supreme Court nomination instead of focusing on this covid package that would be helpful to the economy including restaurants and stages like small music venues that matter believe it or not small towns as well as big and including of course manufacturing which is the subject today. We want to get to what i call the day after tomorrow and that means you need a bridge to the time a vaccine comes out and we can get the economy expanding again. What is the state of manufacturing both in the immediate sense where wee have seen it hit by both a Health Crisis of which has been a special risk for workers who have to work in close quarters and also an economic crisis what is the state of manufacturing in the immediate sense but also in the longterm sense where the u. S. Has lost its world dominance in manufacturing . This is something that as bad as it seems when you look at the numbers its an exciting opportunity for the country and i think that theres just a newfound belief that we need to make things in america. Some of it is in the pandemic not being able toc get masks or protective equipment because we were so dependent on the supply chains and at the same time you saw a president that seemed unable to deal with the rest of the world. Number one, shortterm, passing the heroes act which just today i saw a tweet from one of your reporters saying that in the Washington Post the white house is putting a major priority on getting a covid package done. That is news afterward the president has been saying but its something weve been pushing for for a long time. The head of the Federal Reserve making it clear that this needs get done and that would include an extension of the ppe and some of the work that needs to be done to help our manufacturing. The thing that has to happen after that, its a lot of things but i believe we can do this. Seeing whats going on with manufacturing. During the pandemic we are down over 600,000 manufacturing jobs put one of the things is we still have jobs that are unveiled. I know that sounds a little crazy but we dont have a connection between the skills right now with the workforce and the jobs we can fill. To me that means realizing as a country we dont have a shortage of maybe marketing degrees. We have a shortage of construction workers, plumbers, a shortage of people that know how to make, run, and maintain the robotics equipment that is modernrn day manufacturing and e have to get more women and minorities into the field not to mention immigrationt reform, so its unique challenges with manufacturing but i think the answers are there. The answers are making sure we make things in america wherever possible, making sure we are investing and then getting the country behind the idea manufacturing isnt dead. I know in my state we make everything from pacemakers to postit notes. Minnesota has had a stronger economy than a lot of other states over the past decade. But even before the pandemic you were also an advocate for rethinking manufacturing and specifically for making it more eco friendly, making it more in line with the kind of thing is wthings weneed to do with regaro Climate Change. Tcan you talk a little bit more about that kind of initiative that you would like to see going forward. A. When weve seen the fires raging on the west coast we know doing nothing about Climate Change and doing nothing about the green jobs is a huge mistake. Its only going to get worse and its everything the military predicted ten years ago. The u. S. Military predicted the fires on the west coast. I know i was at the hearing. Sea levels were rising and warmer sees that lead to more flooding on the east coast and then the events in that country like tornadoes and flooding like we saw over the past year. All of that has come true and you cant just pretend it isnt happening. The answer is to upgrade our energy and thats everything from the rules and regulations put in place at the end of the Obama Administration that sadly the trum Trump Administration ln the cutting floor. We need to reinstate those rules and it means looking at car manufacturing and the seeing the jobs in manufacturing we will see out of this in the new economy, so the energy and infrastructure that goes into manufacturing, seeing that in a different way and understanding as joe biden pointed out we have the plan to get a zero emissions by 2040, 2050. Then the second piece of it is seeing what jobs are out there and we know there are a lot in manufacturing. Ive never been one to think if someones job changes, youve got to expect them to go to school for ten years and learn a new skill. Some of our midcareer workers are not going to be able to do that. Its taking the skills they have, doing training for six months, a year and having the jobs for them and that is where the green manufacturing comes in. Could you talk about infrastructure and specifically inthe federal role. When donald trump came to office, a lot of people said infrastructure is one of these places [inaudible] weve had many infrastructures since then. What do you see that joe biden could doen that donald trump couldnt . I was one of those people. I kept interrupting you because i didnt want donald trump to been. I move on Immigration Reform he had employed immigrant workers and i understood how important it was. Joe biden when i ran for president tips the first thing i put out there because i see it as one way to connect the jobs we need to have in this country. So thats going to mean things like rail and bridges and no one knows that better than minnesota where the bridge collapsed in the middle of a beautiful summer day blocks from my house but its also going to mean things like broadband. When we see this pandemic and the light that its cast its unbelievable. By the way, the small manufacturing firms if they are in a desert for broadband or childcare healthcare, we have problems because they will not be able to keep going so i see this as. All interconnected. Mitch mcconnell works with Barbara Boxer one of the first democrats to sign on to help plugin some money in the state basis. That needs to be of course not just readopted but expanded on. And then a major, major infrastructure package is something we need to see come our way. A new president has to do one because this president has had for years and he hasnt done it. Joe biden has promised to add 5 million jobs on top of restoring the jobs that were lost in the pandemic but i would like to bring in a question from a member of the audience who says ive personally watched billions of dollars of manufacturing capability moved out of the u. S. Due to uncompetitive Corporate Tax rates in the u. S. How do you see this trend reversed if we increase the Corporate Tax rate again, the increase in the Corporate Tax rate of course is a proposal that Vice President biden has made. Is this theig right time to raie taxes on corporations . What joe biden has talked about doing is actually going back to the rights when the country was doing really well and including doing better with manufacturing. Remember if you go to 2019 free pandemic we saw manufacturing output and during the recession in the summer of 2019, so i dont really see that the trillion dollar tax cut helped when it came to a lot of our manufacturing in this country and add to that the trade war and the way that he conducted the trade war how it hurts manufacturing. I think those two things combined to create some major problems. I know this from at home. When joe biden comes in what we need to do, we need more consistency in the trade policy so yes we respond to things like illegal steel dumping in which is a major priority but you dont engage in fullscale trade wars. Hes talking about reversing but that can go with the same time you are investing in American Manufacturing which is things like tax credits and about buying new equipment. Its things like investing in research. Its things like having up on a website how what the federal contractors are doing when it comes to meeting the requirements for made in america contracts and some of them are Things Companies could be competing for so its an allout effort to increase American Manufacturing. There will be disagreements on the tax code. Thats for sure. What they did with the deficit wasnt the answer and finally, one more thing when it comes to the pandemic, that can be used and should be used as the Vice President advocated for it can be done in a smarter way so you are working with companies and say this is something we need you to switch over, heres the contract to do it in a much more positive way. Remember weve got to get a vaccine outre next year. Finally, something i think when you talk to jay timmons you will hear about a testing strategy and having the masks and things like that so we can bring back our businesses on a more consistent basis. How soon do you think given Everything Else that will be on your plate in january that you can move on some of these economic policies . I think some of it depends on the outcome of the election and i think its important we take back the u. S. Senate. Theres races all the all over the country that would lead you to believe we are going to do that even though the odds are stacked against us its going to make it easier to quickly move on the some of these Economic Issues but i think the first 100 days have to be devoted to all the things i talked about with the pandemic and then starting the Building Blocks to get the immigration bill done, which we must do and to move on Climate Change and get an infrastructure package done. That can be done in a way that is positive for jobs. We swore to your staff that we would get you out of here. No, its all good. We are good. A. Back to your road trip i hope you have cheese curls in your near future cheese kurds. [laughter] again, senator klobuchar, thank you so much for being here and we hope to see you again soon. I plan on coming back. Maybe not in the car but i will return. Thank you. Thank you very much. We have much more program coming up. My colleague will be back shortly with the ceo of the National Association of manufacturers as senator klobuchar promised jay timmons. So please, stayy with us. How does america take the next step back to the workplace with confidence . We work with businesses to find answers in technology that analyzes and secures across multiple instruments helping to monitor, improving air quality and deliver realtime emergency notifications, Listing Solutions to give you and your employees Greater Peace of mind. So when the time is right to open safely, our technology is making the next step humanly possible. Joining me today is assistant secretary for Acquisition Technology and logistics. Welcome. A. Thank you so much for having me. Im excited about the subject so i cant wait to hear your questions. Earlier this summer i had the t chance to share with the Washington Post audience my thinking about how it can be used to enhance preparedness whether thats for Natural Disaster for a pandemic or even securitye National Issues but i know you have been working towards the technology for quite some time and youve made this a foundational element of your plan for the future. Tell us what motivated you to get interested. One word, speed. Our process right now is exceptionally slow during a time when technology was slow and difficult. When we had a breakthrough we tended to go into mass production and buy things for a period of time but its ubiquitous and we need to change with the times. Digital Technology Allows us to do things and that speeds Everything Else up and then we come back to those that originally designed the system to provide them the learning that they need to make improvements. All of that can happen millions of times every night when we leave the office, so the power of Digital Technology is one of speed and agility and during todays era where technology is ubiquitous and available in every adversary, speed and agility are going to be the only delineators on the future battlefield and this is one way we can start preparing for the future battlefield today in laboratories and competing enclaves around the air force. Its an exciting time to be in the a business. The speed and agility as many of us are familiar with manufacturing and the design seprocess that begin with individual tools, so someone designs, someone engineers and so on and so forth but youve been talking about a digital threat. Why is that important across the entire lifecycle . Its a great question and its a term you can use what itt means something very specific to us. That is also that change and that is too slow the authoritative word and then to support the Digital Edition really do count the same as the physical counterparts. It very much depends on what type of system it is is a new hypersonic weapon and then to see unifying the program to make that digital representation of ther system where most of the work occurs. The job is to produce the data that is the opposite the matrix we want to be superheroes in the Digital World it is faster and quicker and future battles will be one in the space and what steps could be taking to help industry engage and how do bring the industrial space up to speed to support the vision of the future it was like a new religion is not a garnish and we find once your analog there is quite a lot that they can do have a digital design and connect to that own digital spaceth bars with those architectures and Companies Like yours with those leading innovator and Digital Technology we are simply applying it we have to get them and their tolerances up to snuff and finally have to come to consensus and that will change the risk posture. There we have to train that pilot to do with the unknown. And that will happen is i that model. How much do we put this on the line based on the things we were supposed to have done that will just take some thinking how to balance risk versus rewardow safely. Thank you so much we will send you back to washington for. Thank you barbara. We are continuing the manufacturing here at the Washington Post now we have the president and ceo of the National Association of manufacturers who is been in that will almost a decade now and one of the leading voices for more than 12 many manufacturing workers. Welcome. Good to see you. Thanks for having me. Were in the middle of a recession the overall us economy took a big nosedive there are warning signs that the recovery is stalling. How badly has the coronavirus hit manufacturing specifically . And what about the manufacturing recovery . You nailed 2020 on the head. It is quite a ride i dont think any of us would have ever predicted. As you knowan manufacturing so to get half of those jobs with 6 percent over the past few months we are starting to see steady gains. So we want to be Even Stronger its an entire economy and there was another four or five jobs in other sectors so the problem is uncertainty. It is always cautious and what we are seeing from ourur own survey at the National Association of manufacturers is the uncertainty policy wise so how seriously people taking the pandemic and how seriously are they taking cautions to recover. Unless they get rid of the virus. Anytime you wear a mask outside of your family bubbles so we can save jobs and the economy will come back and of course save lives and that which occurs because of covid. So it stayed on the economy just a little bit longer and asom you noted almost 650,000 fewer manufacturing jobs for one year ago i know you think about those workers every day how critical is this for the government to pass another stimulus bill right now . Are there more layoffs if you dont have more stimulus . Yes. Absolutely over the course of the last sevenn months, losing track of time during all of thi this, we have been very pleased as part of the agenda , we can enact over 60 priorities and those included ofed course the paycheck act, pp eprogram all of those are essential in the early days of thehe pandemic with some stabilizing businesses in all sectors not just manufacturing. But what we need to see and i that needs to get through quickly, it is an extension of the application. For thegrca ppe. 90 percent of the numbers of the National Association of manufacturerss are small and medium manufacturers that have aa small number of employees and with that ability to operate and keep the doors open and we also need to have the period for which the loans can be used is not a week pandemic. We know its much longer. And with that limited and targeted Liability Protection with those instances where those lawyers would like to blame empires with those outbreaks of covid and we need to get the payroll now. Thats not put possible. And that is just a stunning statistic that 90 percent of small manufacturing numbers have used the ppe program. Im sorry 90 percent of the members are small and medium manufacturers but it is a large number did use ppp. What is your biggest worry . If they just do something for the Airline Industry . What do you see that can happen in the next few months . This is difficult its not sugar coat this. Not just talk about the Manufacturing Sector obviously you want to make sure that manufacturing has all the tools necessary to recover. But it involves the airlines and schools and the Service Industry and hospitality industry. So this is vital this is what they need to operate and to function in the automatic will affect decisions to lay off parts of the workforce thats what these programs were all incentivestax democrats and republicans and independents. So when i talk to manufacturers is the issue of childcare moms and dads and they cannot work more generally they need to go into their place of work into a factory so how big of an impact. Thats a big issue i have to remote learners down in the basement right now and we have a preschooler unfortunately has lost his ability to go to preschool. Its a difficult for so Many Americans but communities are making the decisions on a casebycase basis and they made the decision to continue with business learning with an abundance of caution and thats a smart thing to do so that said i been part of manufacturers doing what they do best, adapting. And trying new things. Some of them and make i was little bit more flexible or if there is to parents maybe one is home and the kids are home and one might work later. Also encouraging remote work when possible and of course its not possible for most people on the productionbl line. So they are trying to set up the street childcare and the safety calls. You just held up your mask you and the team he would have been outspoken to get the economy back and take the precautions like social distancings ea and you have a Great Campaign and encourage people to check it out. Obviously the president doesnt always wear his mask. How difficult is it to get the message out . Im not president of the United States im also not going to take the bait to get political. But i am veryll i proud of the Business Leaders who have been leading about this or sending the right message. And to get those fellow americans. This is not about its almost passe to repeat these talking points we now that science is if you within feet of somebody else you need to wear a Face Covering and senator klobuchar the branches made out of cloth. The sooner we do this and we get into the economy back will need to do this to ourselves. We have known this since february and its more contagious maybe than the flu the flu maybe kills one out of every two this close one out of every 35 . It is one heck of a burden for the f economy we can get this under control never get the schools open if we dont get it under control. We have hundreds of thousands of more dead americans. I was in florida with my parents who are elderly and i worry about them in a state that has completely opened up. People were out without masks and having a good time. Whether having a good time but my gosh to a daddy social distance, put on a mass because you are killing other people. And if you are contagious you know youg al tested positive in4 days we need contact tracing. We need all these things. I want to bring in the audience questions on the topic of animation do you agree that one of the reasons for manufacturing jobs is automation and the second is similar, do you think covid19 to see some forecast and to see more automation in the coming months. And then try to unwind a few things and in the last segment was senator klobuchar and its a brilliant question because he didnt see the erosion of manufacturing in the uniteduf states in 20 years. If you have the cost to the businessge 35 percent more do business in the United States and anywhere else in the world. Left you take out the cost of labor basically taxes and regulation so you see investment happening in other areas of the world over the last few years we have gotten a hold of noncompetitive tax rate we are much more competitive now withh 21 percent and regulatory certainty. That added a few years ago to manufacturers optimism and to investment and the creation of jobs in the United States and wages and benefits. And i think we can get back on that track now specifically about automation its changing jobs. As the board of directors at the National Association of manufacturers and what she is that withu those jobs you may have thought of that we thought of the past and with those types ofta automation that we are still down 650,000 jobs here is the strange irony we also have 460,000 jobs in manufacturing today that we cannot fill. That is odd when you do you have all these jobs that we lost those jobs have various skill sets which is why we have launched that is delayed because ofof the pandemic and then to get the vaccine which is manufactured by the pharmaceutical manufacturersa and to get the economy back we will have a roadshow and go to communities all across the country to show young people were manufacturing and that virtually the sheer and to attract young people with educators more where the opportunities exist in manufacturings and it does go around automation. We were more people not less is not costing jobs its enhancing jobs the manufacturing. I want to pick on his pick up on something on the Amy Klobuchar remarks asked directlyas about bidens better plan and the suggestion to raise the Corporate Tax 21 at 20 percentr and you heard that increase is needed to be more fair and it would be accompanied by more investment in the Manufacturing Sector so what do you like a what do you think . Great question unfortunately the campaign so many proposals are broke down and that happens with President Trump in 2016 and i will say manufacturers have benefited greatlyfi any manufacturing workers in the United States have benefited greatly from the reduction of the Corporate Tax rate. And to reduce the personal tax rate and with those previously small and most mediumsize manufacturers file S Corporations and they pay the personal tax rate for right now thats higher than the corporate rate. And what i would say to Vice President biden and senator klobuchar, first and foremos foremost, thank you for recognizing the importance of manufacturing in america and manufacturing to a Strong Economy overall and have more opportunities for americans. Sorry we had a technical issue. With research and development. And with capital costs. And then be happy to have this discussion with the Biden Campaign and we are the highest Corporate Tax rate in the world. That want this to be boiled down to a soundbite not just a straight increase we want to make sure we can show the data from the tax cut in 2017 we have collected data that shows and how many jobs we have created aow manufacturing. And do 267. And with that first year tax reform and also increase of wages and benefits. And then raising the Corporate Tax rate we dont want anything that will punish investors in this country. I just want to get one last one and if we can. And then with the immigration policies with those high skilled workers so what do you wish President Trump would do about immigration . First of all the National Association of manufacturers and manufacturers overall is about policys if we got meyer down at the zoo and get anything done and now those trade deals its important as well. And infrastructure is critical. But with immigration it is a part of the fiber of the country and we produced a plan and every cuss single passive immigration so judgment name juan romero. And then to hold a dying body of kennedy after he was shot the last thing he said its going to be okay. He actually just died this week he was 68 years old so what is our dna its all about immigration its all about bringing people together mentioning each one be so that would hinder our ability to recognize we live in the Global Economy we want to fix immigration overall. We really appreciate you sharing mr. Romero story and remembrance of them this week thank you for watching you can tune in again tuesday at 230 for special conversation with the ceo of the Robin Hood Foundation and you can find it all on register to see the full schedule. Thank you. Will. Joined by senator tim kane joining us the via zoom thank you for joining us. The current timetable as far as the