Reexamine and Retool: Commerce Secretary wants a revision of the manufacturing assistance programs

The President’s Commerce Secretary was in the hot seat this week, talking American manufacturing with a Senate subcommittee.

Kansas Senator Jerry Moran questioned Lutnick over a program that helps smaller U.S. manufacturers. The department is not requesting money for that program next year. Lutnick says it is not forgotten, but rather being reworked.

“Programs that were set up by the Department of Commerce decades ago, to assist in technology for manufacturing, tend to be outdated. The new technology is AI-driven, automated, and I think we need to reexamine and retool a whole variety of these programs so that we are able to provide the best technological assistance rather than just continuing our program that’s decades and decades old.”

The Hollins Manufacturing Extension Partnership was started back in 1988. It is a public-private partnership that was designed as a cost-share program. Leaders say the program helped manufacturers get $15 billion in sales last year.

Related Stories
John Appel with the Farmers Business Network (FBN) joins us for a closer look at the 2026 Crop Protection Market Outlook Report.
Farmers display a unique optimism — planting with the expectation that weather, basis, and prices will improve by harvest — asserting that the profession is an identity, not just a job.
Imported lean beef continues to play a critical role in U.S. hamburger and ground-beef production, with any added volume from Argentina serving as a supplement — not a market overhaul.
Margin Protection and the new MCO add county-level margin tools — with earlier price discovery, input cost triggers, and high subsidy rates — to complement on-farm risk plans for 2026.
For aging operators and their rural neighbors, staying socially engaged is a practical strategy to preserve decision-making capacity and farm vitality.
Sen. Roger Marshall explains which types of beef are imported into the United States, how there’s room for new imports, and logical reasons for current high prices.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Experts highlight the importance of monitoring insecticide resistance in crops and improving disease traceability at livestock shows through RFID technology.
Lewie Pugh, with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to share his perspective on what the bill could mean for truckers.
With port fees now lifted, economists believe that could help ease tensions. However, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Faith Parum said trade deals with smaller Asian countries are helping stabilize the ag economy.
Ohio AgNet’s Dusty Sonnenberg takes us up in the cab with a popcorn farmer bringing in this year’s haul.
The DOJ’s new antitrust probe could reshape beef-packer behavior, with potential impacts on fed-cattle prices, processor margins, and long-term competition across the supply chain.