Supporting the goals of National Manufacturing Week, congratulating manufacturers and their employees for their contributions growth and innovation, and recognizing the challenges facing the manufacturing sector.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of our nation's great manufacturing base. My colleague Rep. Gillmor introduced important legislation, H. Res. 16, to support National Manufacturing Week, congratulate manufacturers and their employees for their contributions growth and innovation, and recognize the challenges facing the manufacturing sector. I join him in applauding America's manufacturers.

I especially want to highlight aviation manufacturing, the manufacturing sector predominant in my district, where Wichita is known as the Air Capital of the World. Wichita is home to 4 major aircraft manufacturers, numerous suppliers and other support industries. I am very proud of all the men and women today and in years past who have brought that distinction to our great city.

According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, General Aviation manufacturing contributed over $6 billion to the U.S. economy in 2004, exporting nearly $1.5 billion. Approximately 80 percent of the world's GA aircraft is manufactured in the United States. The total U.S. aerospace manufacturing industry exports $58.5 billion in products--the largest net export segment of all U.S. industry.

General Aviation Manufacturers directly employ nearly 169,000 workers around the country. Aircraft manufacturing workers are the highest- paid, highest-skilled workers in the manufacturing sector. They earn an average wage of $47,700 annually--35 percent more than the U.S. average.

In addition, for every aviation manufacturing job created in the U.S., three additional jobs are created in other industries. In 2002, the last year for which we have complete numbers, the total impact of civil aviation on the U.S. economy exceeded $900 billion and 11 million jobs. This amounts to 9 percent of the U.S. GDP. General Aviation contributes approximately $102 billion (or 12 percent of the total civil aviation contribution) and 1.3 million jobs.

General Aviation manufacturers make aircraft for fire-fighting, law enforcement, scientific research, search and rescue, and agriculture. Currently General Aviation and aerospace employees are working on the future of flight: advances in propulsion, including quiet supersonic flight, new energy sources including hydrogen, and integrating satellite technology for navigational and safe flight purposes.

Manufacturing employees across America are building our future as I speak. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding their hard work, and to commit to ensuring that our manufacturing base thrives for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak favorably on House Resolution 16, supporting the goals of National Manufacturing Week, congratulating manufacturers and their employees for their contributions to growth and innovation, and recognizing the challenges facing the manufacturing sector.

The American manufacturing industry has been a key to our economic success in the past, and will continue to be a key to our economic success in the future. As a member of the Congressional Manufacturing Task Force, I have focused on how the federal government can most effectively help small and medium sized manufacturers compete and grow in western Wisconsin and throughout the country. Through good investments and smart practices, the federal government can better assist American companies and help our nation keep its economic edge.

We need to invest in proven programs that help small and medium sized businesses, such as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). The MEP provides our manufacturers with the tools to compete in a competitive marketplace. It increases our country's manufacturing productivity and competitiveness, resulting in expanded economic activity and an enhanced tax base. It aids in the creation and retention of well-paying manufacturing jobs for American workers, and it is vital to our nation's small manufacturers. That is why I have supported level funding of $109 million for the MEP in FY 2006.

Mr. Speaker, I fully support House Resolution 16, supporting the goals of National Manufacturing Week, and I congratulate American manufacturers for their contributions to our economic success.