Key Senate Committee Passes Blunt, Brown Provision to Expand National Network of Manufacturing Hubs in Senate Commerce Committee Vote

May 15, 2021

Key Senate Committee Passes Blunt, Brown Provision to Expand National Network of Manufacturing Hubs in Senate Commerce Committee Vote

Blunt & Brown Secure Provision in the Bipartisan Endless Frontier Act; Senators’ 2014 Legislation Created First-Ever National Network of Manufacturing Hubs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio) today announced that their bipartisan provision to expand the national network of manufacturing hubs passed the Senate Commerce Committee as a provision of the Endless Frontier Act. It will be part of the legislative package that comes to the Senate floor.

Their provision would expand upon their 2014 legislation, which authorized the creation of a national network of manufacturing hubs. Their new provision would provide funding to support existing institutes and create 15 new institutes – steps that will help ensure American industry continues to out-innovate the rest of the world.

“I’m committed to making sure American manufacturers have the tools they need to not just compete, but lead the way in a global economy,” said Blunt. “I appreciate my colleagues for supporting this measure, which will boost innovation, growth, and jobs in this important industry by expanding and enhancing the partnerships created by the Manufacturing USA program.”

“Manufacturing innovation is essential to our nation’s long-term economic competitiveness. When American manufacturing moves to other countries, we don’t just lose production – we lose innovation,” said Brown. “Our bipartisan 2014 bill created a Network of 15 manufacturing innovation hubs. Now, we need to build on that success by helping ensure these public-private partnerships give small businesses, minority serving institutions, industry leaders, and research institutions the tools they need to compete on a global scale.”

In 2014, Blunt and Brown introduced and Congress passed bipartisan legislation to create the first-ever national network of manufacturing hubs. Their Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act created a National Network of Manufacturing Innovation, made up of 15 advanced manufacturing hubs to bring together industry, universities and community colleges, federal agencies, and all levels of government to leverage resources and spur innovation.

This new measure would expand upon the success of that original legislation by:

Doubling the number of Manufacturing USA institutes by authorizing $1.5 billion for fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2026 to carry out the program;

Promoting more direct collaboration with minority serving institutions, ensuring that our nation utilizes the talent and skill of its entire workforce; and by directing the Secretary of Commerce to coordinate with existing and new institutes, to integrate Minority-Serving Institutions as active members of the institutes; and

Integrating the Manufacturing Extension Program – which provides critical assistance to small- and medium- sized manufacturers – with the Manufacturing USA institutes so that small- and medium- sized manufacturers can better participate.

This measure is endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers, Ford, GE, and Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International.