# The MADE HERE Act: Building America's Manufacturing Future

The MADE HERE Act is designed to strengthen American manufacturing by creating regional "manufacturing clusters"—partnerships between factories, schools, colleges, and community organizations that work together to train workers and develop new manufacturing technologies. The bill recognizes that manufacturing jobs are critical to national security and economic strength, but the industry faces a serious problem: the current workforce is aging, and not enough young people are entering the field to replace retiring workers.

Here's what the bill actually does. It directs three federal agencies—the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense—to establish grant programs that fund these manufacturing clusters. A cluster must include at least two types of partners, such as manufacturers, schools, colleges, workforce training programs, nonprofits, or government agencies. These groups would work together on shared goals like developing training programs, researching new manufacturing techniques, building shared facilities, and helping workers transition into advanced manufacturing jobs. The bill specifically mentions helping veterans and workers from closed factories who have some skills but need updated training to work with modern equipment.

The program works in three phases over time. In Phase 1, selected clusters receive mentoring and training to develop detailed plans for their activities. In Phase 2, clusters that successfully complete Phase 1 can receive up to $3 million over three years to actually implement their plans. In Phase 3, after at least two years of Phase 2 work, successful clusters can receive up to $10 million over five years to continue and expand their efforts. The bill sets aside roughly $10-20 million per year for each of the three federal agencies involved, running through 2031.

The practical impact is that regions with manufacturing industries could see new training facilities, updated educational programs, and better connections between schools and employers. Workers—especially those displaced from older factories or leaving military service—would have clearer pathways to good-paying manufacturing jobs. The bill also aims to help smaller manufacturers modernize their equipment and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities by bringing in newly trained workers with current technical skills. However, the bill's success depends on whether Congress actually appropriates the authorized funding and whether regional clusters can sustain themselves beyond the federal grant periods.

MADE HERE Act

Delgado, Antonio

Manufacturing American Dynamism in Entrepreneurship and Harnessing Education to Retool Employees Act or the MADE HERE Act This bill requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense to establish a manufacturing cluster program to award resources and grants to eligible manufacturing clusters, and it establishes an interagency entity to oversee and coordinate the activities of manufacturing cluster programs at federal agencies. A manufacturing cluster is a geographic concentration of companies and institutions within a particular field of manufacturing that engage collaboratively in workforce development, technology development, supply chain sourcing, and other activities. The program shall be comprised of three phases wherein awards shall be distributed to manufacturing clusters for (1) the development of a detailed implementation plan, (2) the implementation of such plan, and (3) continuing the activities of the cluster. Phase two and three awards may be used for purposes such as developing and deploying educational programs for cluster members, funding efforts with respect to supply chain sourcing and innovation, and developing shared infrastructure or resources for cluster members.