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American Made Advocacy: What Happens in Washington Happens to Us All

Like many of you, I’ve spent the last few years grappling with the challenges posed by a global pandemic. Whether it’s staffing a production line or obtaining key materials, PCB manufacturers and their suppliers have had to adapt quickly to a radically changed environment.

We’re more than 700 days into this new world, but as an industry, we cannot allow our day-to-day focus on operations to distract us from what is happening in Washington and what it means to the microelectronics ecosystem.

Independent of the COVID-19 crisis, our industry is experiencing a decades-long shift that needs to be addressed by a strong public/private partnership. Even as more and more technology in our daily lives is dependent on microelectronics, the U.S. has seen its share of the global PCB market shrink from 26% in 2000 to only 4% today. As policymakers rightly sound the alarm over a 13% American share of the semiconductor market, we are working to remind them that “chips don’t float”—and a truly resilient supply chain must reflect that reality.

Formed in 2021, the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) is focused on legislative and regulatory initiatives in Washington. Here are examples of the activities we are watching carefully and, in some cases, advocating for passage. 

• The annual federal budgeting process. Beginning with the release of the President’s Budget in the spring and continuing through the fall in most years, Congress works to authorize and appropriate funds for everything from national parks to the post office to the Department of Defense. In the last fiscal year this budget represented nearly $4.8 trillion in federal spending. Not surprisingly, tens of thousands of interest groups are focused on this multi-month process, lobbying for their piece of this enormous pie.
• Stand-alone economic development bills. Outside of the annual budget process, Congress often acts to address specific problems, like those currently being felt by American consumers. Shortages of semiconductors have hit American markets hard, and in response, Congress and the administration are pushing for investment in domestic manufacturing through bills like the CHIPS for America Act and the U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness Act (USICA). These bills represent hundreds of billions of additional dollars in spending and incentives.
• Federal rule-making and regulatory policy. It’s not just Capitol Hill where we need to pay attention. At federal agencies like the Department of Commerce and the Department of Defense, leaders in the executive branch are writing rules and regulations which guide our customers in the national security space and shape the international markets we operate in.

These are just a few examples of the ways that the federal government influences American competitiveness and the health of our industry. They are also potent reminders of why a sustained and focused PCB industry presence in Washington is so important.

We cannot assume policymakers will understand our issues and our technologies. We cannot take for granted that our elected officials will be sympathetic to our arguments. It is incumbent upon us to educate, advocate, and legislate for the outcomes we want. Therefore, the PCBAA was formed.

Our growing association believes in, and continues to fight for, market fairness and a level playing field on which U.S. PCB manufacturers, assemblers and critical material suppliers can compete and win. If you’re interested in joining our effort, please visit us online or contact me directly.

This column originally appeared in the March 2022 issues of SMT007 Magazine and PCB007 Magazine.