Kelly, Warren Demand Trump Officials Explain Damage to U.S. Manufacturing Sector

Trump admin has repeatedly and falsely claimed that manufacturing is "roaring back"

Trump's tariffs have led to tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs disappearing

Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to the Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer demanding that they explain the disappearance of tens of thousands of American manufacturing jobs under the Trump administration despite President Trump's promise of a "manufacturing boom."

President Trump has repeatedly claimed foreign companies would "eat" his tariffs and that corporate importers would simply absorb the costs. Instead, Kelly and Warren note in their letter that President Trump's trade policies have cost families an average of $1,700, and estimates indicate that American households will end up paying for 95 percent of the President's tariffs.

"President Trump promised us that his chaotic, across-the-board tariffs-paid for by Americans-would yield a 'manufacturing boom'…But no 'boom' has materialized-in fact, during President Trump's term, the 'blue-collar jobs boom' has been a blue-collar bust," wrote the senators.

Since President Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs on nearly all trading partners in April 2025, nearly 100,000 manufacturing jobs have disappeared while spending on construction in the manufacturing sector has steadily declined since 2025. President Trump's war in Iran has led to construction delays through rising fuel costs and disruptions in global supply chains.

"Tariffs are an important economic tool to level the playing field for U.S. workers and reshore key industries, but they must be employed with careful consideration, as part of a broader industrial strategy," the senators continued.

"This set of facts reveals the truth: that President Trump's disastrous trade and economic policies have hurt American manufacturing, breaking the President's promises to workers and the public," concluded the senators.

The lawmakers asked the officials to explain the increasing trade deficit, explain the administration's repeated lies about a "manufacturing boom," and provide evidence of increased manufacturing investments by July 6^th, 2026.

Background:

This letter continues Senator Kelly's push to bring manufacturing back to America and create great paying jobs for working families. Earlier this month, Kelly introduced the Make More in America Act to rebuild American manufacturing capacity in industries critical to our economy and national security. In 2022, Kelly's CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law and has significantly boosted domestic semiconductor manufacturing. In 2024, Kelly and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) introduced his bipartisan SHIPS for America Act to revitalize the American shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries.

Click here to read the full letter.