Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1525368
56 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2024 to include critical infrastructure. Just as the Defense Industrial Base must have trusted and secure microelectronics, so should our energy grid, air traffic control systems, transportation systems, and the other 16 sectors that the U.S. government considers critical. ese are the sectors in which incapacitation or destruction would have devasting effects on our economy and, indeed, our way of life. Expanding the narrative in Washing- ton has the potential to create the sustained demand sig- nal we need to rein- vigorate our indus- try and compete on a level playing field with nations where decades of subsidies caused the exodus of manufacturing and know-how from our shores. e federal gov- ernment can shape the PCB market with its purchasing power, policies, and legislation. As the new chair of PCBAA, I will spend time this fall in Washington talking with Mem- bers of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Every company involved in manufacturing, assembly, and critical materials should contact their elected representative, inviting them to tour your facilities and asking them to co-spon- sor H.R. 3249, the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates (PCBS) Act. As we head into the final days of summer, we find ourselves amid a turbulent political envi- ronment. Let's not get distracted. No matter which party prevails in November, America's PCB industry needs policies and legislation that bring manufacturing back to our shores. What can we do in this challenging time? We can raise our voices individually and collec- tively to educate elected officials about the dangers of reliance on foreign suppliers and a lack of domestic manufac- turing capacity. While it is a chal- lenge to keep our industry top of mind in the storm of national election news, we should continue telling elected representa- tives that PCBs and substrates are on the ballot in their districts. Now is the time for every PCB com- pany to reach out and invite members and staff to visit their facilities. PCBAA offers our members a toolkit to make this hap- pen, with sample communications and guid- ance for elected representative visits. Beyond Congress, PCBAA is strengthening relationships in the departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, Energy, and Defense. Our goal in the year ahead is to expand the indus- trial policy conversation already underway The U.S. Economy Needs Trusted PCBs American Made Advocacy by Shane Whiteside, PCBAA