Kaptur statement on President Barack Obama’s planned visit to Cleveland
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur issued the following statement in anticipation of President Obama’s visit to Cleveland this week:
“The President’s visit to Cleveland brings the national spotlight to the Northern Ohio region, a region ready and eager to engage in a real conversation about middle class economics. During his visit he will see the unmistakable and pervasive spirit of innovation and tenacity that is reinvigorating downtown Cleveland, and spreading its wings across the region but we must not forget the struggles many in the Cleveland community still face.
It is fitting that President Obama will start his day in Cleveland touring MAGNET, an organization that has been a true leader in supporting and advancing Northern Ohio’s manufacturing industry for more than three decades. It has been a steadfast conduit for public-private partnerships and a true champion of “Making it in America” and the American worker. Manufacturers know how to grow the U.S. economy from the middle out.
America has a lot of work to do on major middle class economic issues, including modernizing our transportation system, building infrastructure, solving immigration challenges, and reauthorizing the Export Import Bank, and many others. These are middle class issues where the President would have significant bipartisan support, particularly among Democrats. The same cannot be said of unfair global trade deals that have a proven record of failure and growing trade deficits, harming America’s middle class especially in our manufacturing base.
Cleveland has the tools and the leadership needed to drive middle class growth throughout our region, and to make the economic recovery a reality for those struggling families who have yet to feel its full effects. There is much the President can do to further these efforts, and we greatly appreciate his visit to our Great Lakes heartland.”
Preview of President's Announcement
The White House has released some details about the programs the President will announce today:
- Nearly $150 million public-private investment for a new textiles-focused Manufacturing Innovation Institute competition.
- Nearly $320 million to support sharpening the capabilities of small manufacturers through Manufacturing Extension Partnership competitions in twelve states, including Ohio (to be announced while touring the MAGNET’s Manufacturing Innovation Center at Cleveland State University).
o The MEP competition will award nearly $320 million annually for five years across twelve states – an expected total of $158 million matched at least dollar-for-dollar by $158 million or more of non-federal funding – to strengthen and reinvest in this nationwide network of manufacturing expertise. Non-profits working with manufacturers in each of the twelve states will have the opportunity to compete for cooperative agreements to operate MEP centers and expand the range of lean production and technology acceleration services offered to small manufacturers, and help bring their products to market. Annual funding is subject to continued performance and the availability of appropriations. New MEP competitions are being launched in 12 states: Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
o For more on the competition, applicants should visit the NIST MEP competition website. A public webinar for applications will be conducted on Monday, March 30th, 2015 at 2:00 pm EST.
- Supply Chain Innovation Initiative focused on building public-private partnerships to strengthen the small U.S. manufacturers that anchor the nation’s supply chains.
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