WASHINGTON (February 6, 2023) — Ahead of President Biden’s second State of the Union address, American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO Chris Jahn released the following statement:
“President Biden and the 118th Congress are working to tackle America’s foremost challenges and opportunities, including delivering on a promise of a cleaner, safer and healthier future for us all. They cannot deliver on this promise without the U.S. business of chemistry. Virtually every ambition the Administration holds on sustainability, energy, climate, circularity, infrastructure, and the economy depend on the innovations of chemistry and plastics.
“With President Biden focused on growing our economy, strengthening supply chains, and promoting domestic production of clean energy, we remind the administration that our industry not only provides hundreds of thousands of jobs to Americans who need them most, but we also create many of the critical products and technologies that make achieving these goals possible. Semiconductors, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and more all rely on the U.S. business of chemistry.
“We encourage the White House, federal agencies, and Congress to pursue policies that will enable the U.S. chemical industry, not stifle it, so that it can continue to be a catalyst to addressing all of these important issues and more.”
Economy – The U.S. business of chemistry is a $517 billion sector that supports a quarter of U.S. GDP and creates more than half a million skilled, good-paying American jobs.
Infrastructure - Chemical manufacturers need reliable infrastructure systems to operate, while innovations made possible by chemistry are essential to infrastructure development. Chemistry makes infrastructure lighter, stronger, more resilient and more cost effective and will be vital during implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Energy – Being energy-smart and climate-smart go hand in hand. Chemical manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry; Congress can help enable a lower-emissions future and a competitive U.S. manufacturing sector by facilitating access to and development of a range of energy sources, including natural gas, and technologies while promoting energy efficiency.
Transportation & Supply Chain – We must move goods faster and cheaper in America. Promoting greater competition among freight rail carriers, improving ocean ports and waterways, and removing numerous regulatory barriers to make it easier for truckers to do their jobs are necessary to meet the current and future transportation needs of our industry and the farmers, manufacturers and energy producers who depend on the business of chemistry.
Circularity – To keep plastic in our economy and out of our environment, we need commonsense public policies. The U.S. has a unique opportunity to be the global hub for circularity. We strongly encourage Congress to enact legislation into law modeled after ACC’s America's Plastic Makers 5 Actions for Sustainable Change.
Innovation - Chemistry is at the heart of an innovative future. From lithium-ion batteries to solar cells and wind turbines, energy-efficient insulation and windows, and lightweight materials for fuel-efficient cars and automobiles, chemistry—and the facilities that produce it—are helping achieve a more innovative, sustainable future.
Community – ACC and our members have a long history of engaging and supporting communities, and we support the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people of every race, color, national origin, and income level in issues related to the implementation and enforcement of environmental policies. The products we manufacture play a crucial role in improving quality of life and addressing critical community needs, and we are committed to working with federal and local stakeholders to constructively engage on environmental justice priorities and protect the health and safety of communities.
