Brown Condemns Trump Commerce Department Funding Freeze for Ohio Manufacturing, Demands Immediate Answers

CLEVELAND, OH – Congresswoman Shontel M. Brown (OH-11) today issued a statement after learning the Trump Department of Commerce paused federal funding to Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) pending the results of a years-long audit. The unprecedented move threatens MEP centers across the state, including MAGNETin Northeast Ohio.

“Between reckless tariffs and this latest funding freeze, President Trump is securing his position as the greatest threat to Ohio manufacturing. This is the second time the Trump Administration has threatened to pull the rug out from under Ohio manufacturers and workers,” said Congresswoman Brown. “MAGNET is an economic engine for thousands of small and mid-sized businesses that drive our state’s economy and support countless good-paying jobs. Talk of supporting American manufacturing is cheap when funding for the very programs that keep our manufacturers competitive is frozen with no explanation or timeline. 

“The Trump Administration must explain this decision, because the consequences are immediate for our state. We need to know why this drastic decision was made on such an abrupt timeline, what alternatives were considered, how the Trump Administration will support the workers who will lose their jobs because of this, and what is being done with the frozen funds that should have gone to our state. The Department of Commerce must provide answers and restore funding to ensure Ohio’s manufacturers and hard-working Ohioans aren’t left high and dry,” Brown added. 

In April 2025, $175 million in funding for Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers nationwide was frozen by the Department of Commerce. The Administration reversed course and released the funding following Congressional pressure, including a letter signed by Congresswoman Brown and more than 80 of her House colleagues.

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