During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing last week, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) questioned Paul Dabbar, nominee to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce, about efforts to advance U.S. manufacturing.
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00:00Thank you. Senator Moran. Chairman, thank you. And Mr. DeBar, welcome. Good morning. A couple of things mostly related to budget and trade. Although Senator Klobuchar, in her favor to ask one of her questions, asked me to ask it.
00:16And I just want to remind you, she and I co-chair the Travel and Tourism Caucus in the Senate. And we are looking to see support from the Department of Commerce in regard to the events that are occurring in our country related to FIFA and all the potential business and opportunities our country has there.
00:36Plus, then the International Olympics in Los Angeles. Our country has a lot of preparation to be prepared for those, that number of guests. What I want to talk to you about first is NOAA.
00:51I find some reports disturbing about the significant budget cuts at NOAA, along with personnel shortages. I'd like to hear you confirm that it is important for our weather service offices to remain open 24-7.
01:10It's essential for public safety. It's essential for the economy of Kansas and agriculture producers, aviation industry. And that seems to be in jeopardy based upon where we are and that these weather service offices need to be staffed 24-7.
01:28And we will work in my capacity as an appropriator to see that the money is there, as I think we've done in the past.
01:36We just need to make sure that that would be implemented and supported by the Department of Commerce.
01:42Yes, Senator. Someone who grew up just a few miles south of Independence, across the border, Tornado Alley, and the support that we have for many parts of the country, but including your state, is vitally important.
01:55I thank you for your willingness to cooperate.
01:58In addition to agriculture, we are the air capital of the world, and we manufacture more general aviation airplanes, but now that is expanding into many other aspects of aviation and aerospace.
02:11One of the key frameworks that has made this possible is a 1979 agreement on trade in civil aircraft, a pact among the U.S. and 33 other nations.
02:21That agreement is hugely important to the supply chain of the industry.
02:27The aviation industry is one of the bright spots in our export markets, and I need to know that you're willing to work to make certain that we go forward under that agreement in our relationships with those countries in a way that does not interfere with the supply chain of producing airplanes and aircraft and aerospace in this country.
02:47Absolutely, Senator. I mean, clearly, in addition to agriculture, aerospace and defense is a comparative advantage industry for this country, and the net trade benefit positive should continue to expand in that sector for us.
03:07Mr. Mr. DeBar, you just highlighted why trade and tariffs are so important to me as a Kansan aviation, aerospace, and agriculture.
03:14We are an export-dependent state, and we earn our living doing so.
03:18I want to talk to you again a moment again about the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the MEP, MEP.
03:27Last month, the Department of Commerce informed 10 states, the MEP program centers, that it would not renew their funding.
03:35This is true despite strong bipartisan support for the program and seemingly in alignment with the Trump administration's interest in improving the environment for increasing manufacturing in the United States.
03:47Do you have any thoughts about how MEP fits into the future of manufacturing and the level of support we can see from the Department of Commerce for that program?
03:56So I had the honor when I was undersecretary to support manufacturing, R&D efforts for new advanced manufacturing when I was undersecretary at a number of different senators states here when I was running national labs.
04:11So at least from my point of view, how do we drive advanced manufacturing for the next step is vitally important, and programs to support that, I think, are vitally important.
04:22So I would certainly look into that program and try to see how that advances advanced manufacturing for the future.
04:30Mr. DeBar, it seems like you've done a lot of traveling.
04:32I don't remember we've ever met in Kansas, and I would like to take that 50th state off your list, or put it on your list, and I assume by that smile and not head shake, you and I will visit my state together.
04:47I'll be glad to visit Wichita and visit some factories or wherever else makes sense, Senator.
04:52Thank you for answering my questions.
04:56Thank you, Senator Moran, and I can attest Kansas is a wonderful place to be.