The American Chemistry Council (ACC) recently launched an extensive industry initiative to raise awareness of the serious impact that several Biden Administration policies would have on American innovation, manufacturing and competitiveness.
American Chemical Council kicks off campaign against anti-industry policies
ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn holds press conference announcing new campaign.
Chris Jahn, ACC president and CEO, sounded the alarm on policies he said are driving manufacturing and innovation off of U.S. shores. The initiative, "Chemistry Creates, America Competes," aims to help the Biden Administration and Congress understand that American success relies on American chemistry.
"President Biden and his administration need to understand how vital chemistry is to the supply chain. Computer chips, medicines, housing, infrastructure and energy are all made possible by America’s chemical industry," Jahn said. "Unfortunately, a surge in unduly restrictive regulations and a lack of coordination in the Biden Administration is putting it all at risk.
"It couldn’t be more straightforward," Jahn said. "Chemistry creates jobs. Chemistry creates innovations. Chemistry creates the products and technologies America and the world needs every day. If we allow chemistry to create, then America competes on the global stage."
ACC and its members are calling for the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to be empowered to do its job and for someone inside the administration with economic expertise to be assigned to objectively assess the impact of proposed regulations on the supply chain. It also wants Congress to exercise oversight authority and examine how overly conservative regulations could cut off access to products and technologies needed to support American-made industry.
"We strive to do more and do better. The world is counting on our innovative science, and American success relies on American chemistry, and these regulatory actions reflect a lack of understanding," Jahn said.
"There has been a massive surge in unduly restrictive regulations that are inhibiting growth. It’s jeopardizing our economy and our ability to compete with countries like China that don’t have the same safety regulations."
Jahn said some of the regulations brought forth under the current administration would ban certain chemistries and make them virtually impossible to manufacture.
"That is going to put people out of a job," Jahn said. "American manufacturing simply can’t afford new regulations."
Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastics Makers, said this initiative would create a policy framework which would allow advanced recycling to grow and thrive.
Eisenberg called the seven currently pending regulatory changes and 30-50 changes pending in the next few years "unprecedented," and said the industry response must be "significantly more aggressive."
"This is not about a regulated industry complaining about regulations," Jahn said. "The cumulative regulatory impact is unprecedented in American industry. There are more pending regs in our industry than the last three administrations combined."
"We’re calling on the Biden Administration, EPA and other agencies to work with us, not against us," said Kimberly Wise White, VP of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for ACC. "All federal agencies must be willing to come to the table, put science first and develop rules and regulations that protect health and the environment without stifling innovation and weakening supply chain resiliency."
Following the announcement of the new initiative, Jahn said in a statement that ACC and its members strongly support responsible regulation that is driven by science, promotes innovation and supports supply chain resiliency.
For more information, visit americanchemistry.com.
