ICYMI: Davids Fights to Restore Manufacturing Support Slashed by Trump Administration

In case you missed it, the Kansas City Star reported on Representative Sharice Davids’ new legislation to reverse devastating cuts made by the Trump administration to Kansas Manufacturing Solutions (KMS), a nonprofit that supports hundreds of Kansas manufacturers, including more than 500 in Kansas’ Third District alone.

The decision to cut the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) contract — despite bipartisan support for bolstering domestic manufacturing — has already forced KMS to lay off over half its staff and threatens Kansas’ manufacturing ecosystem at a time of rising economic uncertainty and global supply chain challenges. 

Davids’ bill, the Defend American Manufacturing Act, would ensure future MEP contracts are renewed and shield the program from politically motivated cuts, helping small and medium-sized manufacturers access the support they need to expand, improve operations, and create good-paying jobs.

Read more in the Kansas City Star: Trump cut help for Kansas manufacturers. Sharice Davids wants to restore funds

“KMS had been a part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nationwide federal program run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The institute, housed in the U.S. Department of Commerce, chose not to renew MEP contracts in Kansas and nine other states with program agreements that ended on March 31. 

The non-renewals come even as Trump and his allies publicly emphasize the importance of American manufacturing and luring manufacturers into the country from overseas.

[…]

‘It was really a gut punch,’ Stovall said in an interview, adding later that tariffs don’t work without a strong manufacturing base to meet demand. ‘Cutting MEP now is like building a runway and then grounding the plane.’ 

Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat who represents the Kansas 3rd Congressional District, will introduce legislation on Thursday to effectively reverse the cuts.

[…]

Davids, who represents southern Wyandotte County, Johnson County and rural areas southwest of the Kansas City metro, said the measure, called the Defend American Manufacturing Act, would free the program’s funding from politically-motivated decision making. 

‘I’m very frustrated right now, actually, about this because we’re at this time where people are dealing with supply chain issues. By the hour, the economic uncertainty seems to grow,’ Davids told The Star in an interview on Tuesday. 

‘And I will say that having a president literally say he’s focused on bringing more manufacturing home to the United States, while nearly simultaneously imposing these tariffs, announcing these tariffs – this is an example of a politician saying one thing and doing another.’ 

[…]

Roughly 4,400 manufacturers operate in Kansas, and 84% are owned by small and medium-sized enterprises, according to KMS’ 2024 annual report. Those small and medium-sized businesses represent the nonprofit’s target client – businesses who want assistance but aren’t large enough to afford high-end consulting. Kansas manufacturers employ some 173,000 people statewide, including over 30,000 in the 3rd District. 

[…]

‘Nationally, part of the point of the tariffs is to, in fact, drive more manufacturing back into the U.S.,’ Kindle said. ‘But if we tear down the structures that help make that happen, then it’s not helpful. We’re not going to have the result we anticipated if we aren’t ready when those companies come knocking.’ 

[…]

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, in a 2023 report, recommended privatizing the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. While Trump sought to distance himself from Project 2025 during his most recent campaign, his administration has taken steps to implement a number of its recommendations. 

[…]

Davids said KMS acts as ‘boots on the ground’ patterns for small and medium-sized manufacturers. The businesses were already dealing with economic uncertainty. But the federal decision to cut the Manufacturing Extension Partnership was ‘absolutely the rug being pulled out from under them.’ 

Davids’ legislation faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled U.S. House. Davids said she plans to seek Republican support, adding that many lawmakers may not yet be aware of the cuts to the MEP program. 

At a time when cuts to Medicaid are on the table in Congress and significant job losses are possible at the Social Security Administration and other federal agencies, Davids said, “we shouldn’t have to worry about whether Donald Trump is going to continue to support our ability to have a strong economy.’”