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Congressman Ryan Urges Funding for Manufacturing Program

By: Tim Ryan
By: Tim Ryan
Date: Jan. 25, 2005
Location: unknown
Issues: Business and Consumers Employment and Affirmative Action


CONGRESSMAN RYAN URGES FUNDING FOR MANUFACTURING PROGRAM
JANUARY 25, 2005

January 25, 2005

Hon. George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to urge you to reverse course and demonstrate support for the Commerce Department's Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP) in your fiscal year 2006 budget. We should double funding for MEP, not cut it.

Ohio has lost more than 170,000 manufacturing jobs since 2001, and the remaining small manufacturing businesses in our state are struggling to keep the doors open. MEP is an important resource that helps small manufacturers in Ohio and nationwide to improve their efficiency, increase their competitiveness, and stay in business.

In FY2003, when MEP was funded at $111 million, Ohio received only a small fraction of that funding. But that modest investment produced impressive results. MEP helped more than 2,700 Ohio businesses that year to create or retain more than 1,100 jobs, increase sales by almost $20 million, cut costs by over $47 million, and increase investments by $58 million. That is exactly the sort of helping hand Ohio's small manufacturers need.

But you proposed an MEP funding cut of 88% for FY2004, and you signed into law a 65% cut. Services to Ohio businesses dropped correspondingly. Last year, you proposed even deeper cuts for MEP. Congress ultimately rejected that plan, but the damage done by your 2003 MEP cuts cannot be undone.

According to news accounts, you are targeting MEP for elimination in your FY2006 budget proposal. Even Ohio's Republican governor has urged you to reform your position on MEP. He understands, as we and the working men and women of Ohio do, that our state's economic future is at stake.

We urge you to propose $250 million in MEP funding for FY2006. Thank you for considering our request.
Sincerely,
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________
SHERROD BROWN MARCY KAPTUR DENNIS KUCINICH
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________
TIM RYAN STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES TED STRICKLAND
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress

http://timryan.house.gov/HoR/OH17/Newsroom/Press+Releases/2005/MEP12505.htm

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