Fattah's Week: Taking the Innovation Technology Agenda to a Major Manufacturers Conference

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA-02) pursues his action agenda on manufacturing and innovative technology this week with a keynote on Thursday (March 8) to the Manufacturing for Growth convention -- 700 members of four top-level manufacturing trade associations meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Fattah, the senior Democratic Appropriator for the Department of Commerce, is a leading voice in Congress for federal seed money and technical support for manufacturing innovation, especially for small businesses. He has introduced legislation, the American Discoveries, American Jobs Act, to aid American businesses in innovating and bidding on government manufacturing business that is currently going overseas.

Fattah has led the effort for creation of the new National Innovation Marketplace portal in the Department of Commerce, which helps manufacturers figure out what new products they can make and where to sell them. It helps connect suppliers to large manufacturers in new industries. Fattah is the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and related agencies.

In Orlando, Fattah will address the Manufacturing for Growth convention on "The Federal Government's Role in Growing the Manufacturing Economy." It is the second straight year the manufacturers have invited Fattah to address their meeting which discusses the challenges and opportunities that manufacturers face.

The conference gathers together CEOs and other top officials of The Association for Manufacturing Technology; American Machine Tool Distributors' Association; National Tooling and Machining Association and Precision Metal-forming Association.

Congressman Fattah will discuss how the federal government, through its legislative and funding decisions, is enhancing America's manufacturing economy by focusing on advanced manufacturing, workforce skills' development, innovation, technology transfer and export growth. The Philadelphia Congressman will be bringing word of recently funded federal initiatives for manufacturers and innovation that have received little public attention.

Fattah is a leader in advocating for innovative American manufacturers to compete for contracts for goods and services with the federal government. He has especially led the charge for technical innovation support for small manufacturers.

Here are the other highlights of Congressman Fattah's week in Washington, Philadelphia and Florida:

• MONDAY: The Congressman addressed and joined the ribbon cutting celebration for the new 53-unit James Widener Ray Homes housing development at 2101 W. Venango Street in North Philadelphia. It's the latest triumph for Sister Mary Scullion's Project H.O.M.E. for homeless families, veterans and individuals. Fattah called Sister Mary not just the Woman of the Year, a recent city honor, but "the woman of the decade, of the decades." He said most of the $11 million for Ray Homes came from President Obama's Recovery program, noting that Obama has said "we want to do things that help our economy, but we need to do work that America needs done, so we're not just spending money to spend money."

MONDAY evening Fattah met in Washington with the Technology CEO Council and its Chair Michael Dell. The TCC is dedicated to advancing policies that promote innovation and U.S. competitiveness through technology leadership.

• TUESDAY: Fattah will participate in hearings of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, at which budget priorities for the National Nuclear Security Administration will be on the agenda.

Also on TUESDAY Fattah will meet with top officials of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC), headquartered at Navy Yard in Philadelphia and led by Penn State. It is one of the nation's three Energy Innovation Hubs -- integrated, highly focused research centers that follow the model of World War II's Manhattan Project atomic research.

• WEDNESDAY at 9 a.m. Fattah will begin at the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, then at 10 a.m. shift to his other assignment, Energy and Water, at which the Nuclear Regulatory Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers budget requests are under discussion.

Also on WEDNESDAY Fattah will speak at the Open Education Week 2012 program in Washington Wednesday. This worldwide celebration seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of free and open sharing in education resources. Fattah will spotlight the Obama Administration's efforts to position the United States to lead the world in postsecondary degrees by 2020.

• THURSDAY Fattah addresses the Manufacturing for Growth convention in Orlando.
  
  
• FRIDAY: Fattah will join an early-morning tour Friday of the Philadelphia Flower Show that showcases Hawaii.
  
  
• SATURDAY: The Congressman meets with the National Council of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, conducting its spring meeting in Philadelphia. Fattah's subcommittee has funding jurisdiction over weather agencies including NWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOTE TO EDITORS: Coverage is invited for these Congressional hearings and for Congressman Fattah's other public appearances throughout the week. For details, contact [e-mail] or [e-mail].

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah