Today several members of the state Senate are participating in President Obama's visit to a Boeing plant in Everett, and in which he is stressing the economic importance of manufacturing American goods and exporting them.

Washington is, per-capita, the most export-intensive state in the nation. And our strength in high-tech manufacturing has been a bright spot in our recovery from the Great Recession. Just yesterday, interim state economic forecaster Steve Lerch noted that the state’s aerospace sector has created almost double the amount of jobs it lost since the start of the recession. (See page 5)

That’s why a big part of the Senate Democrats strategy for economic development focuses not only on encouraging the development of innovative products, such as in SB 5982, but also helping Washingtonians gain the education they need to lead in the 21^st-Century manufacturing sector, through measures like SB 5974.  And the Senate is working on an infrastructure investment plan that includes a focus on Washington’s export capability.

Like the President, Senate Democrats are working on a blueprint for a Washington built to last.

Senators participating in the president’s visit include members of the caucus leadership team, Sens. Brown, Fraser and Eide; Sens. Murray and Kilmer, chair and vice-chair of the Ways & Means Committee; and Sen. Keiser, who as chair of the Health & Long Term Care Committee, has worked to ensure Washington is ready to implement the president’s Affordable Care Act.