Jeff Flake: “I stand today, I guess, as a pig at a wedding here between those who want to fund the program that probably ought to be…”

“I stand today, I guess, as a pig at a wedding here between those who want to fund the program that probably ought to be defunded and those who want to fund it more than it is being funded at current. The President said that we ought to hold the line at about $35 million. The OMB analyzed the MEP and said, "Ultimately firms should be willing to pay for the cost of services that contribute to profitability if they determine the services are worth it." That is what we as Republicans ought to stand for, and instead we are saying let us help them out some more. For those who do not believe this is corporate welfare, I would suggest that you do go to the Web site, which says MEP is a nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in over 400 locations nationwide whose sole purpose is to provide small and medium-sized manufacturers with the help they need to succeed. Well, I would suggest that if a business is having trouble succeeding, it is probably because there is not a market for its good or services or its competitors are doing it better. Now, is it our role as government to actually try to go in and help them out? I would say yes, but we ought to do it by little more of what the gentleman suggested was benign neglect.”