It’s clear that politicians love to leverage the slogan ‘Made in America,’ especially the Biden-Harris duo. However, genuine action and policies that support the supply chain for these American goods are severely lacking. The Alliance of American Manufacturing (AAM), a trade organization vested in this issue, convened an event to put forth the impact of such policy on domestically produced goods. It also aimed to highlight the shift in this policy trajectory during the Biden administration, with the general consensus being one of disappointment and criticism.
One would assume that a global crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic would be a turning point, an opportunity to restructure and prioritize domestic manufacturing. However, the appeal to ‘Made in America’ seems to have been largely rhetorical. Heather Boushey, the chief economist for Biden’s ‘Invest in America’ Cabinet, spoke of how the pandemic had supposedly revived the focus on domestic manufacturing and changing the economy. However, this appears to be nothing more than a facade, with little evidence of real change.
Under the pretense of building a competitive domestic market and making strategic investments in burgeoning industries, the Biden-Harris administration has made big promises. Yet the reality for workers and the wider economy tells a different story. Boushey mentioned ‘a worker-first approach’ as a core tenet of the administration’s strategy. But so far, the actions and outcomes hint at just the opposite—especially given the administration’s unyielding commitment to union involvement, rather than creating an environment conducive to business growth and competitiveness.
Critics of the Biden-Harris administration’s manufacturing plan have been quick to point out that tangible results are hard to find. Despite the rhetoric, the visible growth and enforced policies seem meager in action. The narrative that time will reveal the fruits of the policies set in place rings hollow. The anticipation of job creation and economic prosperity that Biden and Harris promised falls flat in the face of their lackluster execution.
While the administration assures that the growth will be visible in due course and that jobs will spring up once facilities are fully developed and staffed, the reality appears to contradict this. Communities across the country don’t see the progress and jobs that were guaranteed. Hard evidence of actual development and job creation is missing, replaced with excuses about factories still under construction and grand promises of future prosperity.
In the meantime, communities that had expected job-creating manufacturing facilities have been left in limbo. A vivid case in point is the experience of Mark Gitenstein, U.S. ambassador to the European Union, who witnessed his small town grapple with the closure of his father’s apparel manufacturing business. A once-vibrant community became a ghost town as offshoring trends accelerated, demonstrating the failure of Biden’s administration to fulfill its pledges.
Gitenstein’s story is a stark example of how the Biden-Harris administration’s neglect of domestic manufacturing has had dire consequences. Indeed, his tale reflects the reality of many American towns once thriving on local manufacturing. His town has still not seen a revival despite promises by the Biden-Harris administration which boasts of striving to bring manufacturing jobs back.
The Biden-Harris administration’s rhetoric of rejecting old offshoring tactics fails to convince. Critics argue that the administration is merely repackaging the same flawed strategies under a new name. While they speak of not ignoring the consequences for workers and domestic manufacturing and cutting down the delivery of low-cost foreign goods, their actions scarcely align with their words.
Home-produced items, particularly in the textile and apparel industries, are notably scarce. Although some manufacturers like American Giant have figured out how to function within this landscape, the problems they face underscore the challenges posed by existing policies. Despite the Trumpeted claims of the Biden-Harris administration, it seems there’s more talk than action on providing living wages and building an all-domestic supply chain.
Decimated towns and jobless communities are stark evidence of these policy failures. The hollow promises of the Biden-Harris administration ring hollow in these forgotten pockets of America. The so-called benefits of offshoring, touted by previous administrations and perpetuated by Biden and Harris, do little to uplift these communities that are left grappling with unemployment and lowered morale.
Daleep Singh, a deputy national security advisor for the Biden administration, commented on the global supply chain imbalance propagated by China. However, his statements appear to be more rhetoric without giving clear solutions. The strategy outlined by Singh, focused on domestic investments, international partnerships, and restrictive tools, seems to be broad and ill-defined, offering little assurance to American manufacturers.
The president’s plans to foster domestic manufacturing growth also seem dubious. Critics argue that the assertions of ensuring competitiveness in key industries are merely lip service. The idea that manufacturing can simply be outsourced without affecting national prosperity and equity seems to be a fallacy perpetuated by the Biden-Harris administration.
Biden and Harris’s myopic understanding of ‘comparative advantage’ seems to be the root cause of their flawed approach towards manufacturing. The administration’s misguided policies, aiming to create a comparative advantage through forced action, instead undermine the natural industrial evolution that the U.S once experienced.