Kaptur Statement On Trump Department of Commerce Decision to Freeze Ohio MEP Funds

According to recent notices shared with Ohio MEP centers, the Department suspended funding without warning and without releasing any audit report or findings to justify such an extreme action. State officials have confirmed that no documentation has been provided for review, leaving local partners in the dark and forcing immediate pauses in technical assistance across the state.

“This impulsive decision is not ‘America First’ — It is a direct blow to family-owned businesses and American entrepreneurs competing against Communist China. It delays critical upgrades, injects uncertainty into local production lines, and undermines the very workers this nation depends on,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Congress cannot permit the Executive Branch to impound funds simply because it chooses to. I urge the Department of Commerce to release these dollars immediately.”

The freeze impacts federally and state-supported MEP services that provide training, automation assistance, cybersecurity upgrades, and productivity support to manufacturers in every region of Ohio. Numerous partners have now begun winding down operations due to the sudden loss of funds.

Congresswoman Kaptur previously joined 85 Congressional colleagues in a letter to the Department of Commerce calling out prior efforts to freeze these vital funds, a full copy of that letter can be found by clicking here. Today, Congresswoman Kaptur spoke out against the action to freeze these funds on the House Floor, a full video copy of her remarks can be found by clicking here.