USHBC backs bipartisan bill to protect manufacturing program

The United States Hispanic Business Council has endorsed a bipartisan bill that would require the Commerce Department to keep funding the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a long-running federal program that supports small and mid-sized manufacturers. The push comes as the department has withheld funds from multiple centers and the White House budget proposal for fiscal 2027 would eliminate the program.

Why it matters: - The Manufacturing Extension Partnership supports small and medium-sized manufacturers that drive jobs, supply chains and local economies. - The proposed legislation would help preserve a federal program that industry advocates say has generated billions in new sales, investment and cost savings. - The funding fight could affect as many as 65,000 manufacturing firms nationwide.

What happened: - The United States Hispanic Business Council endorsed the Defend American Manufacturing Act on July 23, 2026. - Senators Adam Schiff, Jon Husted, Andy Kim and Bernie Moreno are leading the bipartisan bill. - Javier Palomarez, USHBC president and CEO, backed the measure and called for Congress to pass it.

The details: - The bill would require the Commerce Department to continue operating the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership through cooperative agreements. - The legislation would limit the department’s ability to suspend or terminate support for MEP centers. - The MEP, created in 1988, is a public-private network that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers adopt new technology, improve operations, strengthen workforce skills, modernize supply chains, reduce costs and expand market opportunities. - Since April 2025, the Commerce Department has withheld appropriated funds from multiple MEP centers. - The administration’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal would eliminate funding for the program. - USHBC said the program has long had bipartisan support and has helped retain millions of jobs. - Palomarez said support for American manufacturing and small business should not be treated as outdated. - Palomarez also warned that subsidized Chinese-manufactured goods are flooding markets around the globe and threatening domestic industry and labor. - More information is available for people who want to become members of USHBC.

Between the lines: - The endorsement puts a business advocacy group behind a bill aimed at preventing the federal government from pulling back on a long-standing industrial support program. - The timing suggests a broader battle over whether manufacturing policy should stay centered on direct federal assistance or shift away from it. - The bill’s bipartisan lineup gives supporters a political argument that protection of the program is not limited to one party.

What's next: - USHBC is urging Congress to pass the Defend American Manufacturing Act. - The organization says it is ready to work with lawmakers from both parties to support small businesses, workers and American competitiveness. - The Commerce Department funding dispute and the fiscal 2027 budget process will shape the program’s near-term outlook.

The bottom line: - USHBC is joining the effort to keep a key manufacturing support program alive as federal funding pressure on MEP intensifies.