The NNMI is a collaborative effort announced by President Obama in March 2012 with the goal of improving the U.S. manufacturing sector’s competitiveness and innovation performance, focusing on the scale-up of new product and process technologies.

Invited speakers to the September 27 workshop will include industry executives, local and state leaders, and administration officials. The workshop will also feature interactive discussion sessions on topics key to the success of the NNMI and the proposed Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation.

Online pre-registration is open until September 18. Registration after this date is on a first-come, first-serve basis, should space remain available. Click here to register for this event.

The TBL model has been recognized as a valuable analytical tool among businesses including major U.S. companies such as General Electric, Unilever, and Proctor and Gamble. The model has not been widely applied within the public sector, but the development of the new tool represents a significant step forward for expanding the application of the TBL model by planners, nonprofits, community organizations, and governments to help support the assessment and decision making of critical development decisions.

In creating the TBL Tool, EDA collaborated with Portland State University and its project team and an advisory board of policy makers, practitioners, academics, and industry leaders, including the National Association of Development Organizations, the International Economic Development Council, and the Ford Foundation. Click here for more information and to view the TBL Tool.

• Alaska: Bristol Bay Jobs Accelerator Project, $405,023
• Connecticut: New England Food Hub Cluster Initiative, $568,150
• Illinois: Henry-Rural Rock Island-Mercer County Economic Development Consortium, $193,500
• Kansas: Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Kansas State University, $715,000
• Louisiana-Arkansas: I-20 Corridor Regional Accelerator, $964,134
• Mississippi: Mississippi State University, $1,065,000
• New Hampshire: Northern Tier Farm and Forest Jobs Accelerator, $708,750
• North Carolina: WNC AgriVentures — Cultivating Jobs and Innovation Project , $815,000
• North Carolina: Northern Carolina Eastern Region Aerospace and Automotive Cluster Project, $715,000
• South Carolina: Southern Carolina Alliance Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, $650,000
• Virginia: Appalachian Spring – Using Asset-Based and Creative Economy Methods to Catalyze Rural Job Acceleration, $815,000
• West Virginia: Southern West Virginia Rural Jobs Accelerator Partnership, $717,985
• West Virginia: Value Chain Cluster Initiative, $815,000

The competition was designed by the Taskforce for the Advancement of Regional Innovation Clusters and the White House Rural Council and is also supported by nine other Federal agencies including Commerce’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Denali Commission; U.S. Department of Education; U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and the Small Business Administration.

For more information, please see Obama Administration Announces $9 Million Investment in Rural Communities to Foster Job Creation and Innovation.

U.S. Economic Development Administration

Summary of 2011-2012 House Floor Roll Call Votes

Updated May 11, 2012

During the 112^th Congress (2011-2012), the U.S. House of Representatives has held four floor votes on funding issues related to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).  One House vote was part of the FY2011 Full Year Appropriations Act (an omnibus package of multiple appropriations bills) and the remaining three votes were part of the House floor debate on the FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill, one of the twelve annual spending bills that fund the annual discretionary programs of the federal government.  The votes included:

• Michaud Amendment to H.R. 1, FY2011 Full Year Appropriations Act. The amendment (#22) offered by Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME) proposed to restore an $80 million cut to EDA as part of the long-term Continuing Resolution for FY2011 with an $80 million funding offset from the Census Bureau’s periodic census account.  The Michaud amendment was adopted with a strong bipartisan support on 305-127 vote (1 absent).  (Roll Call Vote 50, February 16, 2011)
• Michaud Amendment to H.R. 5326, FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act.  The amendment (#1038) offered by Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME) proposed to restore a $38 million cut to EDA as part of the FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill with a $38 million funding offset from the Census Bureau’s periodic census account.  The Michaud amendment was defeated by a 190-218 vote (23 absent / 3 vacancies).  (Roll Call Vote 205, May 8, 2012)
• Pompeo Amendment to H.R. 5326, FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act.  The amendment (#1039) offered by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) proposed to eliminate EDA as part of the FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill.  The Pompeo amendment was defeated by a bipartisan vote of 129-279 (23 absent / 3 vacancies).  (Roll Call Vote 207, May 8, 2012)
• Scalise Amendment to H.R. 5326, FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act.  The amendment (#1041) offered by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) proposed to reduce the salaries and expense line items for three U.S. Department of Commerce accounts, including EDA’s operations account by $7.5 million, as part of the FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill.  The Scalise amendment was defeated by a vote of 174-233 (24 absent / 3 vacancies).  (Roll Call Vote 207, May 8, 2012)

Following is a summary of the voting trends and key findings.

OVERALL:  ANALYSIS OF 4 KEY EDA HOUSE FLOOR APPROPRIATIONS VOTES

• 181 House members voted in support of the Michaud amendment to restore the proposed $38 million cut to EDA’s FY2013 budget and against the Pompeo amendment to eliminate EDA. This total includes 142 Democrats and 39 Republicans.
• 150 House members voted in favor of EDA on all 4 key votes in 2011 and 2012, including 126 Democrats and 24 Republicans.
• 99 House members voted against restoring EDA’s FY2013 budget to the current level, YET also opposed eliminating the agency as part of the Pompeo amendment.  This total includes 33 Democrats and 66 Republicans.
• 62 House members voted against EDA on all 4 key votes in 2011 and 2012. All were Republicans.
• 14 House members voted against EDA under H.R. 1 in 2011, but these same members voted in support of EDA as part of the Michaud and Pompeo amendments in 2012.
• 9 House members voted BOTH to restore the proposed $38 million cut to EDA’s FY2013 budget as part of the Michaud amendment and to eliminate the agency as part of the Pompeo amendment.             All of these members were Republicans. (Note: One explanation may be the member wanted to reduce funding for the Census Bureau’s periodic census account.)

Michaud Amendment to H.R. 1, FY2011 full-year appropriations act

Amendment #22 by Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME) to restore proposed $80 million funding cut from EDA’s FY2011 budget with $80 million funding offset from the Census Bureau’s periodic census account.

• Amendment was adopted with strong bipartisan support on 305-127 vote (1 absent) (Roll Call 50, February 16, 2011)
• Supported Restoring EDA FY11 Funding
  • 145 of 240 Republicans (60% of Republican Caucus)
  • 160 of 192 Democrats (83% of Democratic Caucus)
•  Opposed Restoring EDA FY11 Funding
  • 95 of 240 Republicans (40% of Republican Caucus)
  • 32 of 192 Democrats (17% of Democratic Caucus
• Noteworthy Findings
  • House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and 8 of the 12 Appropriations subcommittee chairmen (known as the Cardinals) supported the EDA amendmen
  • Of the 50 members of the House Appropriations Committee
    • Total:  36 supported passage of EDA amendment while 14 opposed the amendment
    • 29 Republicans:  21 voted in support of EDA while only 8 opposed the amendment
    • 21 Democrats:  15 voted in support of EDA while 6 opposed the amendmen
• Voting Records of House Freshman Class
  • Republicans
    • 49 of 86 House Republican Freshmen supported restoring EDA funding (57%)
    • 37 of 86 House Republican Freshmen opposed restoring EDA funding (43%)
  • Democrats
    • 8 of 9 House Democratic Freshmen supported restoring EDA funding

EDA amendment received second highest vote total in support of restoring funding as part of long-term FY2011 Continuing Resolution - second only to amendment to restore FEMA’s firefighter grant program. 

Michaud Amendment to H.R. 5326, FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act

Amendment #1038 by Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME) to restore proposed $38 million funding cut from EDA’s FY2013 budget with $38 million funding offset from the Census Bureau’s periodic census account.

• Amendment failed in the House with a vote of 190 to 218
  • Supported Restoring EDA’s FY13 Funding
    • 48 of 242 Republicans (8 did not vote) – (19% of the caucus)
    • 142 of 190 Democrats (15 did not vote) – (74% of the caucus)
  •  Opposed Restoring EDA’s FY13 Funding
    • 185 of 242 Republicans – (19% of the caucus)
    • 33 of 190 Democrats – (16% of the caucus)
  •  Did Not Vote
    • 8 of 242 Republicans
    • 15 of 190 Democrats
    • 3 vacancies
•  House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and 2 of the 12 Appropriations subcommittee chairmen (known as the Cardinals) supported the EDA Amendment.  Ranking Member Norm Dicks (D-WA) also supported the amendment to restore EDA’s funding.
  • Cardinals Supported: Reps. Rogers (R-KY), Rehberg (R-MT), and Latham (R-IA)
  • Cardinals Opposed: Reps. Aderholt (R-AL), Crenshaw (R-FL), Culberson (R-TX), Emerson (R-MO), Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Granger (R-TX), Kingston (R-GA), Simpson (R-ID), Wolf (R-VA), and Young (R-FL)
•  Of the 50 members of the House Appropriations Committee
  • Total: 19 supported passage of EDA amendment while 28 opposed
  • 29 Republicans: 7 supported passage of EDA amendment while 21 opposed.  Rep. Bonner (R-AL) did not vote.
  • 21 Democrats: 12 supported passage of EDA amendment while 7 opposed and 2 did not vot
• Voting Records of the House Freshmen Class:  There are 94 new freshman members
  • Total:  33 freshmen supported the Michaud amendment to restore EDA’s budget
  • 85 Republicans:  Only 25 Republican freshmen supported the amendment
  • 9 Democrats: 8 Democrat freshmen supported the amendment

POMPEO Amendment to H.R. 5326, FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act

Amendment #1039 by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) to eliminate any FY2013 program funding for the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

• Amendment failed in the House with a vote of 129 to 279 (23 did not vote)
• Supported Elimination of EDA
  • 129 of 233 Republicans (8 did not vote) – (55% of the caucus)
  • 0 of 175 Democrats (15 did not vote) – (0% of the caucus)
• Voted Against Eliminating EDA
  • 104 of 233 Republicans (8 did not vote) – (45% of the caucus)
  • 175 of 175 Democrats (15 did not vote) – (100% of the caucus
• Did Not Vote
  • 8 of 241 Republicans
  • 15 of 190 Democrats
  • 3 vacancies
• Noteworthy Findings
  • House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and 8 of the 12 Appropriations Subcommittee chairs (known as the Cardinals) voted against the Pompeo amendment to eliminate EDA.  Ranking Member Norm Dicks (D-WA) also opposed Pompeo’s amendment.  Four of the 12 Cardinals voted to eliminate EDA.
  • 8 Cardinals Supported EDA:  Reps. Aderholt (R-AL), Crenshaw (R-FL), Emerson (R-MO), Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Latham (R-IA), Rehberg (R-MT), Simpson (R-ID), and Wolf (R-VA)
  • 4 Cardinals Voted to Eliminate EDA:  Reps. Culberson (R-TX), Granger (R-TX), Kingston (R-GA), and Young (R-FL
• Of the 50 members of the House Appropriations Committee
  • Total:  10 voted “yes” to eliminate EDA while 37 opposed (3 did not vote)
  • Of the 29 Republicans:  10 supported passage of Pompeo’s amendment to eliminate EDA while 18 opposed.  Rep. Bonner (R-AL) did not vote.
  • Of the 21 Democrats: 19 opposed eliminating EDA and 2 did not vote.
• Voting Records of the House Freshman Class:  There are 94 new freshman members
  • Total:  41 freshmen supported the amendment—all were Republican
  • 52 freshmen opposed Pompeo’s amendment (one freshman did not vote)

TO RESTORE FUNDING FOR THE U.S. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

ACTION NEEDED: Urge your Representatives to vote “yes” on the Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME) amendment to restore a proposed $38 million cut to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) as the House considers the FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. This year, the U.S. House of Representatives has proposed to cut EDA’s FY2013 budget to $219 million, $38 million below FY2012 and level with the President’s FY2013 budget request.  The amendment offered by Rep. Michaud would restore the $38 million cut.

During the U.S. House debate on the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 (H.R. 1), Rep. Michaud successfully offered a similar amendment to restore a proposed $80 million cut, or 33 percent reduction, in EDA’s FY2011 funding.  The House overwhelmingly adopted, by a strong bipartisan vote of 305 to 127, to retain EDA’s funding at the FY2010 enacted level.  With 60 percent of the Republican caucus and 83 percent of the Democratic caucus supporting full funding for EDA, this was a clear demonstration of the agency’s results over the years and the need for future strategic public investments to lower the unemployment rate and generate high-quality private sector employment opportunities.

BACKGROUND: On April 19, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Appropriations bill that would provide $238 million for EDA, approximately $20 million below FY2012 and $19 million above the President’s FY2013 budget request. On April 26, the House Appropriations Committee approved their version of the FY2013 CJS Appropriations bill that would provide $219 million for EDA, $38 million below FY2012 and level with the President’s FY2013 budget request.  The FY2012 appropriation for EDA included $200 million for disaster assistance for areas that received a disaster designation in fiscal year 2011.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

• EDA is unique among federal programs.  While other federal programs often support broader community development activities, EDA focuses strictly on private sector job creation and economic growth.
• By federal law, EDA projects typically require a 50 percent local cost share and significant private sector investment, ensuring that local leaders and businesses are committed to the project’s success.  In addition, EDA investments are focused on high quality jobs, especially in advanced manufacturing, science and technology, and emerging knowledge-based industries and sectors.
• By federal law, EDA project investments must be tied into a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) developed and vetted by local officials (including Economic Development Districts)—this helps ensure projects have significant local support and are part of a broader regional strategy.
• EDA invests in public assets that private companies are reluctant to fund themselves.  These assets are often lacking in the nation’s most distressed areas, yet they are a prerequisite for private industry to remain or locate in these areas.  As we have witnessed in recent years, private companies will relocate to places with these basic yet vital public infrastructure assets, including outside of the United States.

ACTION NEEDED: Urge your Representatives to vote “yes” on the Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME) amendment to restore a proposed $38 million cut to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) as the House considers the FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. This year, the U.S. House of Representatives has proposed to cut EDA’s FY2013 budget to $219 million, $38 million below FY2012 and level with the President’s FY2013 budget request. The amendment offered by Rep. Michaud would restore the $38 million cut.

During the U.S. House debate on the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 (H.R. 1), Rep. Michaud successfully offered a similar amendment to restore a proposed $80 million cut, or 33 percent reduction, in EDA’s FY2011 funding.  The House overwhelmingly adopted, by a strong bipartisan vote of 305 to 127, to retain EDA’s funding at the FY2010 enacted level.  With 60 percent of the Republican caucus and 83 percent of the Democratic caucus supporting full funding for EDA, this was a clear demonstration of the agency’s results over the years and the need for future strategic public investments to lower the unemployment rate and generate high-quality private sector employment opportunities.

BACKGROUND: On April 19, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a FY2013 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Appropriations bill that would provide $238 million for EDA, approximately $20 million below FY2012 and $19 million above the President’s FY2013 budget request. On April 26, the House Appropriations Committee approved their version of the FY2013 CJS Appropriations bill that would provide $219 million for EDA, $38 million below FY2012 and level with the President’s FY2013 budget request.  The FY2012 appropriation for EDA included $200 million for disaster assistance for areas that received a disaster designation in fiscal year 2011.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

• EDA is unique among federal programs.  While other federal programs often support broader community development activities, EDA focuses strictly on private sector job creation and economic growth.
• By federal law, EDA projects typically require a 50 percent local cost share and significant private sector investment, ensuring that local leaders and businesses are committed to the project’s success.  In addition, EDA investments are focused on high quality jobs, especially in advanced manufacturing, science and technology, and emerging knowledge-based industries and sectors.
• By federal law, EDA project investments must be tied into a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) developed and vetted by local officials (including Economic Development Districts)—this helps ensure projects have significant local support and are part of a broader regional strategy.

EDA invests in public assets that private companies are reluctant to fund themselves.  These assets are often lacking in the nation’s most distressed areas, yet they are a prerequisite for private industry to remain or locate in these areas.  As we have witnessed in recent years, private companies will relocate to places with these basic yet vital public infrastructure assets, including outside of the United States.

Christine Frei, Executive Director of the Clearwater Economic Development Association (CEDA) in Lewiston, Idaho presented on four of the partnerships that have been used to increase small manufacturing in her region.  CEDA has leveraged a partnership with the Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers Association on a number of projects including:

• Solidworks in the High School – exposes local students to manufacturing related occupations to encourage a rural workforce of manufacturers
• Snake River Boat Builders Export Program – which has provided viable foreign markets for the welded-aluminum jet boat manufacturing cluster in the region
• Ende Machine and Foundry/Craigmont Business Park – worked with a local manufacturer and helped establish the first lost foam foundry in the Inland Northwest; and
• American Manufacturer Network – helps increase military preparedness and create manufacturing business opportunities resulting in job creation in the Pacific Northwest.

Michael Eisensmith and Alain Ouellette from the Northern Maine Development Commission spoke about how their region has utilized partnerships with local businesses to create a network that led to increased investments and opportunities for their region. The Aroostook Partnership for Prosperity was essential in establishing goals and inventorying the indigenous assets that would offer northern Maine the best opportunities to meet regional economic development goals. Through Mobilize Northen Maine and their Jobs Accellerator Initiative, NMDC worked with APP to foster innovation in manufacturing natural resources and expand the renewable energy industry cluster found in their region.

To access the video recording of the webinar: Click Here!

To access the presentations slides click the following link:

Asset-Based Strategies and Partnerships