Jay Rockefeller: “this amendment, offered by the Senator from South Carolina, deserves strong support from this body. I am a cosponsor of…”

“this amendment, offered by the Senator from South Carolina, deserves strong support from this body. I am a cosponsor of the amendment for a very basic reason. Our amendment will restore funding for what's called the Manufacturing Extension Partnership [MEP] Program-- a vital network of facilities dedicated to a strong manufacturing base in this country. With vision and a lot of hard work, the Senator from South Carolina has turned a very basic idea into a very powerful, invaluable reality. It seems incredibly stupid to cut funds from a program that has the track record of this one. The name says it all--manufacturing extension. That means that because of this program, the small- and medium-sized businesses of this country have place to contact, to call, to visit where they get the latest there is to know about how to make products and turn a profit. Cut the funds, eliminate these centers, and cut off the businesses of our country from what they cannot get anywhere else. Forty-four manufacturing extension centers now operate in 32 States. The centers are sharing expertise, information, and advice to smaller- and mid-sized companies that want to manufacture products and want to stay in business.”