President Includes Quadrupling MEP in American Jobs Plan
President Biden will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this afternoon to announce his American Jobs Plan that includes a quadrupling of MEP. The page 18-19 of the American Jobs Fact Sheet states:
“Make it in ALL of America. The President believes we must build social infrastructure to support innovation and productivity across the country. He is calling on Congress to invest $20 billion in regional innovation hubs and a Community Revitalization Fund. At least ten regional innovation hubs will leverage private investment to fuel technology development, link urban and rural economies, and create new businesses in regions beyond the current handful of high-growth centers. The Community Revitalization Fund will support innovative, community-led redevelopment projects that can spark new economic activity, provide services and amenities, build community wealth, and close the current gaps in access to the innovation economy for communities of color and rural communities that have suffered from years of disinvestment. And, President Biden is calling on Congress to invest $14 billion in NIST to bring together industry, academia, and government to advance technologies and capabilities critical to future competitiveness. He is calling on Congress to quadruple support for the Manufacturing Extensions Partnership —increasing the involvement of minority-owned and rurally-located small-and-medium-sized enterprises in technological advancement.”
This “infrastructure” package focuses on both physical and technological infrastructure and includes initiatives that exceeds more than $3 trillion. It is unclear at this time if the proposed investment is to be made in one year or over a period of time. Funding for the American Jobs Plan will be left to Congress to decide via the regular appropriations process or reconciliation. ASMC will continue to monitor the plan’s progress and any legislation offered to support it.
Reminder: House Democrat-led MEP DCL
Please continue obtaining Representative signatures on the House Democrat Dear Colleague Letter to Appropriators. For instructions, please visit last week’s Call-to-Action. The deadline is Thursday, April 13, 2021. The current list of signers (as of 3.25.2021) has been posted.
Link to article site: http://www.smallmanufacturers.org/