MCLEAN, VA - U.S. manufacturing technology providers roundly applauded Congress' passage of the Defense Production Act (DPA) reforms and reauthorization (S. 1677). The bill was approved by the House and sent to the President for signature after the Senate's approval last week.

“America’s national security is threatened by the erosion the recession has caused to our defense industrial base,” warned Douglas K. Woods, President of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. “This country’s manufacturing sector needs the type of support provided by the Defense Production Act if we are to continue our critical role in defense preparedness.”

The DPA was created in 1950 during the Korean War to ensure that American industry could be mobilized swiftly and effectively in times of war. It is set to expire on September 30 unless Congress acts. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL) joined forces in this current effort to update the DPA and make it more effective in current times.

“The bipartisan leadership of Senators Dodd and Shelby and the broad support and swift action of the House and Senate illustrate the wide recognition that the DPA could be used now to help manufacturers hard hit by this economic downturn, particularly those that continue to have problems accessing credit,” says Woods.

Woods urged swift enactment of S. 1677. “Let’s hope the bill is signed by President Obama quickly," he says. “That will be a real sign that the Congress and the Administration are serious about getting manufacturing and this country back on the right track.”