Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) extends its welcome and congratulations to the members of the 116^th Congress. In a letter to newly elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), PMI CEO/Executive Director Kerry Stackpole said, “Plumbing manufacturers look forward to working with you and the members of the 116^th Congress as you craft policy solutions that will help our nation’s economy and manufacturers thrive.” Similar letters were sent to Senate leaders Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the entire Congress.

The letters from PMI highlight the need for continued bipartisan action to ensure the international competitiveness of plumbing manufacturers. PMI remains very concerned over the harmful consequences of the Section 301 tariffs on $250 billion worth of imports from China, particularly on plumbing manufacturers, their employees, consumers, and the home building and home improvement sectors. PMI urges the Congress and Trump administration to reexamine the impact of the tariffs, which serve as a tax increase on the American consumer and put jobs at risk.

PMI urges federal lawmakers to bolster investment in the nation’s aging infrastructure, including drinking water and wastewater systems, and invest in the next generation of skilled technical workers. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ current Infrastructure Report Card, America’s infrastructure scores a D+. The United States must fill nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs over the next decade, and many of those jobs may go unfilled unless federal workforce training and educational programs receive adequate funding.

The U.S. plumbing manufacturing industry, along with its wholesale and retail partners, provides more than 193,000 good paying jobs and more than $10 billion dollars in wages nationwide, contributing to the economic health of each state in the union. Overall, the plumbing fixture and fittings industry contributes $85.5 billion dollars to the American economy – about four-tenths of 1 percent of America’s gross domestic product, according to economic data compiled by PMI. 

On May 7 and 8, 2019, PMI’s Washington, D.C., Executive Forum and Fly In will provide PMI members the opportunity to meet face-to-face with lawmakers, congressional staff and federal regulators while receiving updates on current issues relating to the plumbing manufacturing industry.