California’s affordability crisis threatens America’s defense industrial base

America is investing billions to build the world’s most advanced ships, aircraft, missiles, autonomous systems and satellites.

But those investments mean little if we do not have the welders, machinists, technicians, engineers and mechanics to build and maintain them.

California should be leading that effort.

The state is home to more than 30 major defense installations and one of America’s most important aerospace and defense ecosystems.

These industries offer skilled workers good careers – often paying $90,000 to $100,000 a year without requiring a four-year degree.

AMERICA FACES A CRISIS IN OUR MILITARY ARSENAL THAT TRUMP IS RACING TO FIX There is just one problem: California has made it increasingly difficult for the workers we need to afford to live here.

A $100,000 salary sounds impressive until rent approaches $3,000 a month.

Gasoline, electricity, insurance, food and taxes consume more of every paycheck and homeownership feels increasingly out of reach.

NEWSOM TARGETS MAJOR AFFORDABILITY SQUEEZE IN ‘STRIKING’ CONVERGENCE WITH TRUMP We cannot talk seriously about California’s workforce shortage without talking about California’s affordability crisis .

The defense industrial base already faces an aging workforce and a shortage of skilled tradesmen.

Across America, millions of manufacturing jobs could go unfilled in the coming years as experienced workers retire, and too few young Americans replace them.

WANT TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S ECONOMY? THE KEY INVESTMENT IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT California cannot afford to make that challenge worse by pricing workers out of the state.

The first part of the solution is getting more young Americans into the trades.

SKIP TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE DEBT AND GIVE YOUR FAMILY A LIFETIME OF WEALTH For too long, our culture promoted a "college for all" mentality that treated a four-year degree as the primary measure of success.