Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined with John Kennedy, CEO, New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc., to outline critical wins for New Jersey manufacturers in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. Rep. Sherrill supported two amendments to the NDAA that will fund investments into the Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP) to create a national supply chain database to mitigate any disruptions to our supply chain, and coordinate government efforts to shore up the Defense Industrial Base, two critical issues to addressing pandemic preparedness.

“The New Jersey MEP has been an immense help during the pandemic,” said Representative Sherrill. “My office has worked closely with them to streamline production of PPE and help manufacturers gain access to the supplies, schematics, and equipment they need. These two provisions of the NDAA will strengthen our national security, domestic manufacturing, and production of vital PPE and equipment here in New Jersey.”

“NJMEP has been pursuing a national supply chain database for several years, and the Pandemic has brought the importance of establishing one to the forefront,” said John Kennedy, CEO, NJMEP. “Senator Menendez and NJMEP worked together on a bill that would begin and sustain this process in NJ, and thanks to Representative Sherrill we were now able to get House support for developing one. This would include coordinated efforts to strengthen the Defense Industrial Base, as well as, addressing pandemic preparedness. I’m very pleased that we received House support that would allow us to expand our technical assistance, workforce development, and technology transfer assistance to small and medium sized manufacturers in New Jersey. As Representative Sherril knows, they need all the help they can get in light of this health and economic crisis.”

The NDAA authorizes $10 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in connection with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to establish a national supply chain database that will help assess the United States’ manufacturing capabilities. The database will enable NIST to understand where manufacturers can retool production to meet urgent needs such as production of supplies, medical devices, and personal protective equipment. NJ MEP will integrate into this national database.

The legislation also requires Manufacturing USA Institutes to contract with MEPs in each state to provide defense industrial-base related outreach, technical assistance, workforce development, and technology transfer assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers.

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