Biden plugs manufacturing in Ohio

HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — President Joe Biden pledged Friday that 3D printing technology would help return factory jobs to the U.S. and reduce inflationary pressures as he traveled to an industrial Midwestern state with a Senate seat in play to make his case for the future of manufacturing.

Inflation at a 40-year high and Russian President Vladimir Putin's

invasion of Ukraine have caused growing uneasiness about the economy among voters. Biden is staking

his presidency in part on the promise that his policies on matters ranging from infrastructure to computer chips can create a more resilient economy.

"The pandemic and the economic crisis that we inherited and Putin's war in Ukraine have all shown the vulnerability when we become too

reliant on things made overseas,"

Biden said. "We learned the hard way that we can't fight inflation if

supply chains buckle and send prices through the roof every time there's a disruption."

Biden went to United Performance Metals in Hamilton to highlight commitments by five leading U.S. manufacturers to boost their

reliance on small and medium American firms for 3D printing. GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Siemens Energy have agreed to take part in the program. The president toured the factory with executives.

The president also pressed Congress to approve a stalled competition and innovation bill that the

Democratic president says is critical to bolstering domestic manufacturing and helping solve a semiconductor shortage that has delayed production of life-saving medical devices, smartphones, video game

consoles, laptops and more.