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July 09, 2004

Slim Manufacturing Bill Slips Through House

Today, the House passed by voice vote H.R. 3598, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act.  Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Member of the Science Committee, commented upon final passage that, "This modest bill comes at a time when we need a much bolder initiative.  Since January 2001, 2.7 million manufacturing jobs have disappeared.  Those workers deserve more than the half-loaf that this bill provides.  We have missed a great opportunity to provide for a wide range of programs that would support the manufacturing community and the workers who benefit from those good-paying jobs."

The failure to creatively use all the tools that might be brought to bear in support of manufacturing "shows a lack of imagination and political will," according to Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) of the Committee.

Two weeks ago in Committee markup, Democrats attempted to expand the bill’s support for manufacturing innovation, but nine of their amendments were defeated on party-line votes.  The Republican Rules Committee allowed the Science Democrats to offer only three amendments in the House, all of which were opposed by the Majority on the logic that the President would veto the bill if they passed.

"That is very disappointing," noted Mr. Gordon.  "The first article of the Constitution is supposed to provide for an independent Congress, not one that has to check with the White House on what it’s allowed to even consider."

Mr. Gordon continued, "The major achievement of H.R. 3598 is that, almost four years into an Administration that has lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs, the White House has finally stopped trying to gut or eliminate the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program.  This acceptance may merely be an election year conversion, but they are welcome to the party nonetheless."

The three Democratic Floor amendments and a Democratic motion-to-recommit were defeated on party-line votes.

  • An amendment by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) would strike language which allows the Bush administration to re-compete the already heavily-reviewed MEP centers.  "It would be like re-competing NIH medical research grants that have already been competitively awarded. It makes no sense," said Ms. Jackson Lee. (Defeated 166-197).
  • An amendment by Rep. John Larson (D-CT) would create an Undersecretary of Commerce for Manufacturing, an elevation of manufacturing recommended by numerous studies and advisory panels. (Defeated 170-189).
  • An amendment by Mr. Gordon would provide a 10 percent annual increase in MEP funding for the fiscal years 2005-2008 and provide more flexibility in the Federal share going toward the Centers.  "These changes would go a long way toward reversing the harm that the Administration and the Congress have done to the MEP program over the past several years," said Gordon. (Defeated 170-192).

Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL) offered a motion to authorize a study on the off-shoring of manufacturing jobs and to mandate a policy response to the study’s findings by the Administration.  That motion was rejected on a party-line vote. (Defeated 171 to 194).

Mr. Gordon concluded, "I am happy that we are moving toward the first authorization of the MEP program in 6 years.  We should have done this long ago.  But this bill could have been so much better, had the Majority pushed a bill like the one that Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) introduced last year, or even the bill that Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) introduced later.  Once our Committee Majority got into bilateral negotiations with the White House, the bill became a very limited product which does very little to help our small and medium-sized manufacturers."

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