Tag search result

An earmark from eight North Carolina Congressmen would fund two textile research consortiums.

The funds would go to the National Textile Center, a consortium of eight universities including N.C. State University which develops new materials and promotes textile research and education, and a Cary-based industry consortium, the Textile/Clothing Technology Corp.

Rep. Brad Miller sought $16.5 million for both groups; Rep. David Price, $16.5 million; Rep. Mel Watt, $16.5 million; Rep. G.K. Butterfield, $20 million; and Rep. Heath Shuler, $3.5 million.

Meantime, Rep. Bob Etheridge requested $13 million just for the National Textile Center, and Rep. Howard Coble sought $13 million for the National Textile Center and $3.5 million for the Textile/Clothing Technology Corp.

Rep. Larry Kissell also requested $3.5 million for the Textile/Clothing Technology Corp.

All stressed the economic benefits of the research.

"The research conducted through these two programs plays a major role in helping to enhance the competitiveness of an industry that is a primary supplier of employment to women and minority workers, with many of these jobs located in depressed areas," Butterfield wrote in his request.

Price also noted the benefit to women and minorities.

"These two research consortiums are critical components of the US textile industry’s ongoing effort to remain globally competitive," he wrote. "Their groundbreaking textile research helps offset job losses in the U.S. textile sector, which is a primarily supplier of employment to women and minority individuals, and prolong the vitality of the U.S. textile manufacturing base."

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated Coble's earmarks and left out Kissell's earmark.