Political Quotes

“My amendment increases the authorized funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership by $5 million and it offsets it by decreasing the authorized funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by $5 million, for level funding. If our goal is to create and retain more American jobs, there is no better program to fund that than the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with centers in every single State, for every $1 of Federal investment, this public-private partnership generates nearly $21 in new sales. As a result, this translates into $2.5 billion annually. For every $2,001 of Federal investment, MEP creates or retains one American manufacturing job. The MEP programs provides our Nation's nearly 350,000 small manufacturers with services and access to resources that enhance growth, improve productivity, and expand capacity. This program is a win-win for our hard-working American taxpayers. Few, if any, other Federal programs can claim such a good return on our taxpayers' investment. Considering this amendment authorizes the program at $130 million that helps small American manufacturers directly and at a 50 percent cost share, this gives taxpayers more bang for their buck. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has a total budget of over $1 billion, so moving $5 million to this valuable program for small businesses is simply good economic policy.…”