This morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg for the launch of Foundry School at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. The Leader highlighted America’s manufacturing comeback under President Trump and the importance of preparing the next generation of industry leaders and staying ahead of China.
 
Remarks Below As Delivered:

“I want to start by first congratulating Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Undersecretary Helberg, Stanford University, and all the university and business leaders who have worked so hard to make Foundry School possible. 

"What you're launching today comes at an incredibly exciting time for our country.

"When President Trump was swept back into office, he made it clear that American manufacturing was going to be at the heart of America's golden age. 

"For too long, we watched factories shutter and good-paying jobs leave our shores. 

"President Trump promised we were going to reverse that trend and bring manufacturing back to America. 

"And that's exactly what's happening. U.S. manufacturing activity surged in July at the strongest rate in over four years.

“More than 18,000 manufacturing jobs have been created this year alone. And manufacturing wages are up more than 4% over the last year, putting more money in the pockets of American workers. 

"That is a remarkable turnaround. And Republicans in Congress have been proud to work with President Trump to help make this possible. 

"Last year, we passed the transformational Working Families Tax Cut to make America the best place in the world to build, invest, and create good-paying jobs.

“Now we have to keep building on that momentum, because at the same time American manufacturing is coming back, there is a global race underway for industries that will define the next century. 

"China wants to dominate artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals, energy defense, and advanced manufacturing. 

"We cannot let China win this race. America has the best workers, entrepreneurs, universities, and innovators in the world. 

"But maintaining that advantage means making the next generation of Americans—making sure they have the skills to lead in these industries.

“And the demand is going to be huge. As you've heard this morning, American manufacturers are expected to need nearly four million skilled workers by 2033. 

"It's engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs, industrial leaders. 

"But this isn't just about filling jobs. It's about making sure America has the best talent to out-innovate, out-build, and out-compete China for decades to come. 

"And that's why the Foundry School is so important.

"What I especially like about this program is the partnership behind it. 

"You're bringing together some of the best universities in America with founders and CEOs who are actually on the front lines of innovation. 

"These are people building companies, creating jobs, and developing new technologies. They know what skills they need. 

"They know where the technology is going, and they know what it takes to compete. And now they're going to be bringing that expertise directly into our universities to help prepare the next generation. 

"That's exactly the kind of partnership we need.

"Government does have a role to play. We can cut taxes. We can get unnecessary regulations out of the way. We can unleash American energy, and we can make it easier to build things in this country. 

"And that's exactly what President Trump and Republicans in Congress have been doing. 

"In the Working Families Tax Cut, we allowed companies to fully expense the cost of building new factories in America, one of President Trump's top priorities. 

"We restored full expensing for domestic research and development, and we provided full expensing for investments in new equipment and machinery.

"We're making it easier to build here, innovate here, and create good-paying jobs here. And you're seeing the results—trillions of dollars of new investment coming into America. 

"But government can only create the conditions for success. 

"The ingenuity that has always made America the greatest economy in the world comes from our entrepreneurs, our businesses, and most importantly, our workers. 

"That's why it's so important that the private sector is helping lead this effort.

“And it's also why what you're doing here fits so well with the work Secretary Rubio, Undersecretary Holberg, and the State Department are doing through Pax Silica. 

"If we're going to beat China, we can't remain dependent on them for critical products and supply chains that our economy and national security depend on. 

"Through Pax Silica, the United States is working with trusted partners like Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and India to strengthen those supply chains and reduce our dependence on China. 

"At the same time, Foundry School is bringing together our universities and the private sector to strengthen America's greatest competitive advantage. 

"That's our people. 

"That's what excites me about this initiative.

“President Trump has changed the trajectory of American manufacturing. Republicans in Congress are putting policies in place to make it easier to build and invest here. 

"Our businesses are leading the world in innovation. And now we have an opportunity to make sure the next generation of Americans is prepared to take that progress even further.

“Because if we get this right, we're not just going to bring back industries and jobs that America lost, we're going to lead the industries of the future. 

"And there is no country in the world I would bet more on than the United States of America. 

"That's why I'm excited about the Foundry School and what you're building here.

"So congratulations again to Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Undersecretary Helberg, Stanford, and all the participating universities and the business leaders who are investing their time and experience in our next generation. 

"Thank you. God bless you, and God bless these United States of America.”

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