~ This reversal comes two weeks after the Trump Administration initially announced it would be cancelling funding for ten MEP Centers, including INNOVATE Hawaii ~
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and U.S. Representatives Ed Case (D-HI) and Jill Tokuda (D-HI) released the following statement after the National Institute of Standards and Technology announced it would be reinstating funding for INNOVATE Hawaii, a Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center that helps Hawaii manufacturers grow and expend their businesses. INNOVATE Hawaii is one of the ten locations across the country that were impacted by the Trump Administration’s initial announcement cancelling funding for MEP centers.
“INNOVATE Hawaii has helped more than 1,000 businesses retain thousands of local jobs, ensuring that Hawaii’s manufacturers have the support they need to improve their businesses, while also promoting innovation in manufacturing technology and business practices,” said the lawmakers. “MEP centers like INNOVATE Hawaii play a crucial role in bolstering manufacturers across the country, helping to expand the U.S. manufacturing base and promote competitiveness abroad. We are relieved the administration has heeded calls to reinstate funding for INNOVATE Hawaii, but remain deeply concerned about the chaos being wrought on our communities by the Trump Administration’s withholding of federal funds. Together, we’ll continue fighting to protect federal investments that support our communities, our state, and our country.”
Last week, the Hawaii Congressional delegation also signed letters in the House and Senate demanding answers regarding the Administration’s initial decision to cancel funding for these MEP centers.
The ten Hollings MEP centers impacted by the Trump Administration’s announcement are part of a national network of 51 MEP Centers across the country that have helped boost the productivity and competitiveness of thousands of small American manufacturers for decades. The centers have consistently received bipartisan support as the nation’s only network of public-private partnerships that supports small and medium-sized manufacturers in every state and Puerto Rico. A 2024 report found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million in funding invested by the federal government in 2023. It also found that MEP center projects contributed to an overall increase in more than 300,000 jobs nationwide.
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