U.S. Vice President JD Vance gave a speech celebrating the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday at an event held at Vantage Plastics in Bay City.
Vance and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler visited Bay City to discuss the “Made in America Manufacturing Initiative,” which Loeffler announced last Monday. The visit is the first stop on Loeffler’s projected national two-month Made in America Roadshow.
Vance’s remarks supported Trump’s economic agenda, including tariffs, tax cuts on domestic production, and 100% expensing retroactive to Jan. 20, 2025, for manufacturers.
“Part of our comeback means unleashing America’s energy and making it cheaper and making it more affordable for American businesses and workers to do what they need to do,” he said. “So, day one in office, President Trump ended the green new scam and ended the war on American energy.” He added that gasoline prices were 35% higher under the previous administration. Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency and establishment of a National Energy Dominance Council, Vance said, should undo the damage caused by former President Joe Biden’s policies.
Trump “reopened 625 million acres offshore for drilling and ended Biden’s disastrous ban on liquefied natural gas exports, which risked ending 90,000 American jobs and costing $250 billion for our country over the long run,” he said. “It’s over. We stopped it.”
Vance continued, saying the U.S. economy boasted 10,000 new manufacturing hires during the first month of the Trump administration, compared to losing an average of 9,000 manufacturing jobs a month during the last year of President Joe Biden’s administration. What’s more, Vance added, the U.S. has witnessed more than $2 trillion in business investment during the first seven weeks of the Trump administration.
“The great American comeback starts with restoring American industry,” Loeffler said in a statement. “With the Made in America Manufacturing Initiative, we’re slashing red tape, expanding access to capital, and fueling a manufacturing resurgence that will create high-paying jobs and revitalize communities across the country. By prioritizing American-made products, we’re not just securing our economic dominance — we’re protecting our national security by ensuring the essential goods we rely on are produced right here at home. SBA’s initiative is a promise to every hardworking American and small business owner: We’re putting American jobs and strength first.”
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The initiative aims to use the newly formed Office of Advocacy to slash $100 billion in regulatory costs faced by small businesses and manufacturers. The SBA will also launch a Red Tape Hotline to serve as an ombudsman to review claims by small businesses and manufacturers that they have been subjected to potentially onerous rules and regulations.
SBA field offices throughout the U.S. will partner with the recently announced Office of Manufacturing and Trade to provide dedicated resources and training for small manufacturers. Additionally, the SBA will expand access to loans to assist with capital for real estate, construction, and equipment purchases. These 504 loans will forego ongoing taxpayer subsidies in favor of borrower and lender fees.
Businesses and manufacturers will also benefit from an expanded Working Capital Pilot program for inventory purchases and export-related expenses.
“Made in America is back,” Loeffler said. “SBA’s new initiatives not only will bring back the strong blue-collar boom of the first administration, it will send a clear signal that America is no longer willing to sacrifice its economic dominance by bowing to trade deals that are woke, bloated bureaucracy this administration is putting American jobs products and national security first.”
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Also on hand at Friday’s event were Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, Rep. Bill G. Schuette, and Sen. Roger Hauck.
Schuette pointed out that the 35th Michigan District wasn’t represented, because Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hasn’t called for an election to replace state Sen. Kristin McDonald Rivet, who successfully ran for a U.S. Representative seat in 2024. Schuette noted it’s been more than two months since the district had representation in the state Senate.