WASHINGTON, D.C., September, 30, 2004– Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Ranking Minority Member Bart Gordon (D-TN) announced today that emergency funding has been secured to ensure Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers remain open. MEP, a network of 59 centers and hundreds of satellite offices that provide technical advice to small and medium-sized manufacturers to help them remain globally competitive, is considered one of the federal government’s most successful programs and has been credited with helping save or create tens of thousands of jobs nationwide.

The fiscal year (FY) 2004 appropriation cut the MEP program by more than 60 percent, from the FY 2003 level of $106 million to $39 million. This cut has had widespread negative effects, forcing centers to lay off 248 people and close 58 regional offices, severely impairing their ability to deliver technical advice and services to manufacturers. Although both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have indicated their support for the restoration of full funding for MEP, the appropriations bill that funds the program for FY 2005, which begins tomorrow, has not yet been enacted. The Continuing Resolution that keeps funding flowing to federal agencies is based on the FY 2004 appropriation, a funding level that would likely lead to the closure of several MEP centers.

Boehlert and Gordon organized a coalition of 161 Members of Congress and worked closely with the Department of Commerce and Congressional appropriators to transfer $8.5 million in unspent FY 2004 funds from other programs to MEP. This emergency funding will ensure MEP centers and satellite offices continue operating as Congress works on the FY 2005 spending bill that funds the Department of Commerce and MEP.

Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) said, “MEP plays a vital role in helping our nation’s manufacturers – the backbone of our economy – meet the significant challenges they face and maintain their competitive edge. The emergency funding we were able to secure will ensure that MEP’s centers remain open and that manufacturers continue to receive the technical assistance on which they rely.”

Ranking Minority Member Bart Gordon (D-TN) said, “While I am pleased that Congressional pressure has given the MEP centers a short lease on life, I remain concerned that the Administration still does not fully support the MEP program. For the past three years, the Administration has attempted to eliminate a program that is critical to U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. This Committee will remain vigilant to make sure that the Administration gets the message.”

Environment, Technology, and Standards Subcommittee Chairman Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI) said, “I applaud the successful efforts of the Department of Commerce to secure additional funding for MEP. The MEP Centers are instrumental in the modernization of manufacturing in America, and they are engines of job creation. This is a first step in restoring the MEP program to its original strength.”

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