Earl Blumenauer: “I am proud to support H.R. 250, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act. In this era of globalization, Congress…”

“I am proud to support H.R. 250, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act. In this era of globalization, Congress must make a commitment to providing the right incentives and resources to keep our manufacturing sector competitive. I have met with a group of public and private organizations in Portland, Oregon, the Manufacturing 21 Coalition, and was told that a skilled workforce and incentives for innovation are their priorities. This bill will provide funding for valuable research and development programs to develop new technologies and education dollars that will help ensure we develop a workforce that is able to efficiently work with new technologies. I was displeased to see that the Rules Committee ruled out of order some amendments that would have enhanced the benefits of this legislation. Nevertheless, I am pleased that the House is taking steps to ensure that we enhance manufacturing businesses in our local communities.”