***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL OF THE EVENT HERE***

Kirkland, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, toured the Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland (LWTech) and hosted a roundtable dialogue on the investments she is preventing for — in every thing from training and workforce improvement to American manufacturing and clear vitality expertise — to make sure that the U.S. stays a pacesetter in innovation and aggressive within the world economic system.

Murray secured $1.1 million in Congressionally Directed Spending as a part of final yr’s spending invoice for a photo voltaic set up program at LWTech—an instance, Murray mentioned, of the investments we have to proceed making by the common appropriations course of to make sure the U.S. stays aggressive. The challenge—which features a photo voltaic array and electrical automobile charging stations—will cut back electrical energy prices at LWTech, enabling the school to extend spending on tutorial gear by 14 %. The photo voltaic array and EV charging stations will even permit LWTech to develop their electronics expertise program to together with hands-on instruction for future jobs within the photo voltaic and electrical automobile industries.

Murray’s go to to LWTech immediately got here on the heels of a full Senate Appropriations Committee listening to Senator Murray chaired final week on the significance of investments in U.S. competitiveness.

“One point I have been making every chance I get is that competing—and keeping our country safe and economy strong—isn’t just about defense and investing in our military,” Senator Murray mentioned on the roundtable dialogue. “Being competitive means leading the world in innovation and supporting research and development that puts us on the cutting edge of the industries of the future. It means building clean energy infrastructure that will make us more energy independent. It means supporting institutions of higher education that are building the STEM workforce that drives American innovation and ingenuity—and it means supporting workers with the knowledge, skills, and training they need to pursue careers in this space. Doing all of this takes action in Congress—and serious investments in our communities.”

“It’s clear to me if we want to stay competitive—if we want to stay ahead—we have to stay the course and build on our investments,” Murray continued. “As I have been telling all of my colleagues—our competitors aren’t cutting their investments, and they are not flat-funding them either! Now is not the time to give away our leadership on the world stage.”

“I am incredibly grateful to Senator Murray for her ongoing support of the college and our students. As a workforce college, we provide innovative programs that prepare students to enter the global workforce,” mentioned Dr. Amy Morrison, President of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology. “The Senator’s work to secure $1.1 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for LWTech to install solar panels at the college will ensure the college will reduce non-renewable energy use on campus by creating one of the largest public solar arrays/grids in Washington and provide our students the opportunity to learn and train on solar arrays.”

Participants within the roundtable dialogue included Dr. Amy Morrison, President of Lake Washington Institute of Technology; King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci; Robin Toth, Aerospace Director on the Washington State Department of Commerce; Gus Williams, Workforce Development Manager at CleanTech Alliance; and Kristina Hudson, CEO of OneRedmond.

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