Commerce Secretary Discusses Economic Growth at Breitbart Event
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick shared insights at a Breitbart News policy event on Wednesday, highlighting how the Trump administration dealt with misleading science to foster economic growth.
“What did we have to do during the Trump administration to facilitate that factory’s construction? Beyond negotiating with Micron, and adjusting the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act, which was poorly executed,” Lutnick explained while discussing Micron Technologies’ large semiconductor manufacturing facility in Syracuse, New York. “Theoretically, there was a bat habitat in the trees of this forest.”
“So we challenged the science, which was, frankly, misleading, and they successfully built a $100 billion factory,” he continued.
“Can you believe some folks would prefer to protect bats in a tree rather than encouraging substantial growth in America and providing jobs for 40,000 construction workers and 25,000 Americans in semiconductor manufacturing? It just doesn’t make sense,” he remarked.
Lutnick emphasized his goal of revitalizing manufacturing to support American workers. He also acknowledged the positive employment growth stats announced by the Labor Department that day.
“The president is fostering growth in America. If you think about it, he’s boosting exports by implementing tariffs to cut down on imports while opening up foreign markets and lowering tariffs. These actions are clearly driving growth,” he told the audience at the event.
Economist John Carney provided analysis, noting that economists had predicted a gain of 55,000 jobs, with some forecasts varying widely from none to 130,000. The unemployment rate was projected to remain steady at 4.4%. The job report was delayed several days due to a partial government shutdown.
The private sector was solely responsible for the job growth, contributing 172,000 new positions. Conversely, federal payrolls dropped by 34,000 jobs, and state and local employment also decreased by 8,000 jobs.
Lutnick concluded, “I believe we’re on the brink of seeing the greatest growth the U.S. has ever experienced.”
