- The Trump administration will stop funding a public-private manufacturing partnership that helps small and mid-sized companies increase productivity. The administration sent a notice to Congress Wednesday night, April 2.
- One Democratic lawmaker said it is an incoherent, poorly planned idea that goes against President Donald Trump’s goal to increase domestic manufacturing.
- The administration told Congress it wants to move toward AI and quantum computing.
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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) shut down a public-private partnership designed to help small and mid-sized manufacturers increase productivity, according to Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. The White House informed Congress Wednesday night, April 2, that the Trump administration would no longer provide funding to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which has 51 centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
What have some Democrats said?
“I just got notice last night that it’s been shut down, canceled, cut, defunded, like so much else that this cloud of locusts known as DOGE has destroyed,” Coons told Straight Arrow News.
Coons suggested it is antithetical to shut down a program that helps increase domestic manufacturing as President Trump increases tariffs, which he hopes will drive companies to bring jobs and manufacturing that moved overseas back into the United States.
“They don’t know what they’re doing, and the consequences for our economy, for costs for our families and communities, will be harmful and lasting,” Coons stated. “It helps small and medium manufacturers thrive. It helps them fix and improve their manufacturing processes and be more productive.”
What is the Manufacturing Extension Partnership?
The government established the program in 1988. According to the program website, it has “helped thousands of manufacturers improve operations, increase profits, create or maintain jobs, and establish a foundation for long-term business growth and productivity.”
According to data provided to MEP by its clients, the national support network helped manufacturers achieve $15 billion in new and retained sales, $5 billion in new client investments, $2.6 billion in cost savings and create over 108,000 jobs in fiscal year 2024.
A 2024 study found that MEP invested $175 million in domestic manufacturing and received a 17:1 return, which included a $34.1 billion increase to the GDP.
Why is the administration doing this?
Wired obtained the email explaining the cut from the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology to Congress.
“The department is reprioritizing its programmatic activities to ensure that the US secures its position as a leader in critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum,” the email stated. “As such, NIST has determined that these cooperative agreements are no longer aligned with the priorities of the department and NIST.”