Political Quotes

“Madam Chairman, in an effort to drive innovation and regional collaboration, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 mandated the creation of a Regional Innovation Program within the Economic Development Administration. This program is intended to encourage and support the development of regional innovation strategies, including regional innovation clusters and science and research parks. The President's fiscal year 2013 budget requested $25 million to fund the Regional Innovation Strategies Program. Funding for the Regional Innovation Program would support the Economic Development Agency's interagency effort to build regional innovation clusters, including the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. The Jobs Accelerator is a competitive interagency grant that supports the advancement of high-growth regional industry clusters, very important all across America and particularly important in my home State of Rhode Island. EDA is currently working in partnership with other Federal agencies, including the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration and the Small Business Administration, to promote regional collaboration to spur job growth and economic development.…”