(ASQ: Milwaukee) -- The Baldrige Foundation remains committed to supporting the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program in 2012, despite the elimination of federal funding for the program.

Last week, Congress passed and President Obama signed an appropriations bill that eliminates all federal funding for the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program for fiscal year 2012. In prior years, federal funding has been joined by funds from the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, along with application fees and the service of nearly 1,000 volunteers to carry out the program.

The Baldrige Program provides improvement practices, principles, and methodologies to strengthen U.S. organizations—enhancing their competitiveness, quality, and productivity.

“We’re extremely disappointed that Congress and President Obama don’t see the value of this effective program,” says Paul Borawski, CEO of ASQ, the nonprofit organization that administers the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. “The data are compelling and the testimony is powerful: Baldrige is a proven way to fix what is not working in America and to help make us great again—one organization at a time.”

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