Obama Announces Millions In Funds Towards Manufacturing-Focused Initiatives

The Washington Post (3/19, Nakamura, Eilperin) reports that during a speech at the City Club of Cleveland on Wednesday, President Obama announced that the Federal government will “direct nearly $500 million toward manufacturing-focused initiatives.” According to the Post, the initiatives will include a “textiles-focused manufacturing institute competition led by the Department of Defense” and a 12-state $320 million competition to help small manufacturers. Beyond the competitions, the Post reports the Administration plans to spend $158 million in the next five years through the state-federal network known as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership “to provide technology and engineering expertise to small manufacturers.” The article notes those funds will be “matched by another $158 million in private funds.” The Post also reports that White House statistics show manufacturers in the US have added 877,000 jobs since February 2010, “the fastest rate of manufacturing job growth since the 1980s.”

        IndustryWeek (3/19) reports on some of the details of President Obama’s investment in manufacturing, noting that the Department of Defense competition “to form a new manufacturing hub focused on revolutionary fibers and textiles technologies” will involve a Federal investment of $75 million, which will be matched by “private sector resources.” IndustryWeek notes that a new report by the White House and Commerce Department identified that “a dense network of small manufacturers that make up the backbone of America’s supply chains” accounts for 42 percent of manufacturing jobs in the US. According to IndustryWeek, the report found that these “small manufacturers often lag behind their larger peers in adopting critical new technologies,” which is why the proposed White House Supply Chain Innovation Initiative will look to “strengthen U.S. manufacturing overall by closing this gap” through public-private partnerships and other Federal efforts.

        The Cleveland Plain Dealer (3/18, Koff) reports that the 12 states eligible for the Department of Defense textile competition include Ohio, Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

        Apparel Magazine (3/19) also gives a detailed summary of the competitions and initiatives announced by the White House on Wednesday.

        Obama Criticizes GOP’s Proposed 2016 Budget. The New York Times (3/19, Davis, Subscription Publication) reports that in remarks to the City Club of Cleveland, the President called the GOP plan “stingy and shortsighted,” and criticized Republicans “for proposing to cut domestic programs that he said would yield more jobs and economic benefits for working people who are struggling financially.”

        The AP (3/19, Superville) says the President took credit “for a revved-up economy,” and argued that “the House Republican proposal isn’t what’s needed to keep the trend lines moving in a positive direction,” and the Washington Post reports that he drew “a sharp distinction...with his Republican rivals over the economy.”

For more news from The National Association of Manufacturers, visit www.nam.org.