Fattah Manufacturing Priorities Included in 2014 Bipartisan Congressional Spending Bill

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), a Senior Member of the Appropriations Committee announced today that several of his manufacturing priorities were included in the 2014 Congressional spending bill, including key provisions from legislation he introduced in 2011, H.R. 614, the American Discoveries and American Jobs Commission Act.

The principal idea of H.R. 614 was incorporated into the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) section of the omnibus appropriations bill: creating incentives that new products developed through federally-funded research, and therefore financed by taxpayer's money, be manufactured in America. The initiative will also result in legislative and regulatory recommendations that improve domestic intellectual property transfer and retention.

Overall, the Department of Commerce received $8.2 billion in the appropriations bill, more than $800 million above FY13 post-sequester levels. Included in the funding are investments in Economic Development Administration (EDA) programs, the Minority Business Development Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the International Trade Administration (ITA).

"These programs will help our manufacturing base become more innovative, more competitive, and ultimately more successful. Manufacturing remains one of America's—and one of Pennsylvania's—most important industries and we must be constantly encouraging new programs and ideas that drive domestic manufacturing," Congressman Fattah said.

Additional Fattah manufacturing priorities included in the 2014 spending bill:

• Innovative Loan Guarantees: The program, one of Fattah's chief priorities, received an additional $5 million for innovation loan guarantees under the EDA. This program supports the manufacture of innovative products or ideas, while encouraging the EDA to utilize partnerships to connect small and medium-sized manufacturers with information technology, training, and education to create jobs and enhance their global competitiveness.
• Advanced Manufacturing Consortia: Fattah was instrumental in securing $15 million for the Consortia program which brings universities and NIST together to partner on pre-competitive research and develop long-term plans for industrial research needs.
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP): The bill includes $128 million for the MEP program which strengthens American manufacturing, with a focus on solving manufacturers' challenges and identifying opportunities for growth. Within MEP, Fattah championed support to require reports from relevant federal departments on their manufacturing purchases that come from outside the United States.

Fattah is lead Democrat on CJS Subcommittee and worked closely with Chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA) on the above manufacturing initiatives included in the final legislation, which was passed by the House and Senate this week.

Click here to view remarks Congressman Fattah made yesterday on the House floor in support of the manufacturing investments included in the 2014 spending bill.

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah