[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 10 (Thursday, February 3, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S991-S992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KOHL (for himself and Ms. Snowe):
  S. 296. A bill to authorize appropriations for the Hollings 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today with 
Senator Snowe to reauthorize funding for the Hollings Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership. This successful Commerce Department program, 
based in the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is a 
nationwide network of Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
Centers working with small- and medium-sized manufacturers in all 50 
States. These local centers have played a critical role in helping our 
manufacturers turn out the most advanced products, using cutting edge 
technology and processes, to prevent these firms from being forced out 
of the global marketplace.
  My State of Wisconsin is a great manufacturing State. Small- and 
medium-sized manufacturers and a few larger concerns make us the State 
economy most dependent on manufacturing--save Indiana. Thus, I am 
keenly aware of the devastating job losses experienced by American 
manufacturers. In Wisconsin alone, we lost more than 90,000 
manufacturing jobs over the last four years.
  While 2004 brought encouraging news in which we saw a net gain of 3.1 
percent or 15,400 manufacturing jobs in my State, this pace of economic 
growth will never bring us back to where we were before.
  That is why I am committed to doing all I can to help our 
manufacturers. And that is why I am such a strong supporter of the MEP 
program, one of the only Federal programs which has provided tangible 
assistance to the manufacturing sector to help companies stay in 
business and retain jobs. The MEP program served 18,422 manufacturers 
in fiscal year 2003 alone, and over the life of the program has 
assisted more than 184,000 firms across the Nation.
  MEP's top areas of assistance are process improvement, quality 
inspection, business system and management, human resources, plant 
layout and manufacturing cells and product development. MEP streamlines 
operations, integrates new technologies, shortens production times and 
lowers costs, leading to improved efficiency by offering resources to 
manufacturers, including organized workshops and consulting projects. 
MEP removes the drag on profits and maximizes the potential of our 
manufacturing firms.
  Wisconsin is the home to two MEP centers which have both had a 
significant impact on the productivity of companies throughout the 
State. Since 1996, Wisconsin MEP has helped over 1,300 Wisconsin 
manufacturers improve their productivity and profitability. Over that 
time WMEP customers have reported a positive impact of nearly $400 
million in improvements attributable to the assistance provided by MEP. 
And, since 1994, the Northwest Wisconsin Manufacturing Outreach Center, 
targeting the more rural northwestern part of the State, has provided 
over 3,189 technical assistance activities to over 942 companies, 
created or retained 1,979 jobs, and achieved client-reported impacts of 
over $132 million.
  One of the novel aspects of the MEP program is that it is a Federal-
State-private partnership. Federal funding leverages State and private 
funding. Manufacturers pay reduced fees for the services and States 
match the Federal funding. In many cases, the Federal component is only 
one-third of the funding for the program.
  Although the MEP program has broad bipartisan support, with 55 
senators writing a letter in support of the program last year, we have 
had to struggle in recent years to ensure that MEP centers receive the 
funding they deserve. In the last two years, the Administration has 
proposed deep reductions in the program that would have forced MEP 
centers around the country to close. In fiscal year 2004, despite 
Senate support for full funding for the MEP Program, funding was 
reduced by 60 percent from $106 million to $39.6 million. As a result, 
58 MEP centers closed and staff was reduced by 15 percent. Working with 
several other Senators, we succeeded in having amendments adopted on 
the fiscal year 2005 Defense authorization and appropriations bills to 
permit and direct the Commerce Department to reprogram unobligated 
funds to the MEP program in fiscal year 2004 to keep the MEP network 
intact. Fortunately, in the fiscal year 2005 Omnibus Appropriations 
bill, MEP received $109 million and was renamed the Hollings MEP 
program, in recognition of the strong support Senator Hollings gave 
this program during his tenure in the Senate.
  Next week the President will be sending us his proposed budget for 
fiscal year 2006. I am deeply concerned at reports that indicate that 
the Administration intends to propose yet again to cut this vital 
program. We have introduced this legislation today as a sign that there 
continues to be bipartisan support for the Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership. I hope that these reports were incorrect and that the 
Administration recognizes that we cannot abandon our small- and medium-
sized manufacturers. They are the key to economic growth, good paying 
jobs, and a healthy balance of trade.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

[[Page S992]]

                                 S. 296

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE HOLLINGS 
                   MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

       (a) Amounts for Fiscal Years 2005 Through 2008.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce 
     for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program 
     of the National Institute of Standards and Technology--
       (1) $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
       (2) $115,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
       (3) $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
       (4) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
       (b) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program 
     Defined.--In this section, the term ``Hollings Manufacturing 
     Extension Partnership Program'' means the program of Hollings 
     Manufacturing Extension Partnership carried out by the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology under section 
     26 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 278l), as provided in part 292 of title 15, Code 
     of Federal Regulations.

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