President Obama promised to double funding for the Hollings Manufacturing Extensions Partnership (MPE) program, and his budget for 2010 puts him closer to fulfilling that promise.

The Hollings Manufacturing Extensions Partnership is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which in turn falls under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The partnership, which consists of federal, state and local organizations, provides business information and resources to U.S. manufacturing firms to make them more competitive in the global markets.

The Bush administration allocated $110 million in funding for the MPE program during 2009. In 2010, MPE will receive $124.7 million, a 13.4 percent increase. According to the Department of Commerce, increased funds will "expand technology and business resources to help strengthen these manufacturers' competitiveness in the global market, as well as support activities concerning energy efficient manufacturing practices."

Though a 13.4 percent increase is hardly a doubling of the budget, it puts Obama closer to his original goal. We rate the promise In the Works.