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United States Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan

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Senator Stabenow's Job Creation Agenda

Senator Stabenow is leading efforts to stop the exporting of American jobs overseas, create new high-paying jobs and invest in the future of Michigan’s economy.  Her six-point job creation agenda includes actions to:

Reward Companies for Creating Jobs in the United States

  • Passage of theStabenow MORE JOBS NOW bipartisan amendment in July 2004.  As part of a major tax bill, this amendment provided for an immediate phase-in of a $6 billion tax cut for businesses who create jobs in the U.S.  All companies are eligible for this tax relief.  In October 2004, the President signed this bill into law.
  • Close tax loopholes that give companies incentives to export jobs. These include loopholes that allow individuals to renounce their citizenship or reincorporate their businesses overseas just to avoid paying taxes.  In January 2005, Senator Stabenow introduced legislation to eliminate the unfair incentives for companies to move jobs overseas and import products back into the United States.

Lower Health Care Costs

Create public/private partnerships to fund health care.  In a global marketplace, our domestic industries are at a competitive disadvantage as other nations fund health care through their governments.  Senator Stabenow has introduced the “Health Care Access for Small Businesses Act” to help small businesses pay for health care and has authored the “Keep America Competitive Act” that would provide a tax credit to American businesses for catastrophic health care costs.  

  • Make health care more efficient and cost-effective.  Senator Stabenow has authored bipartisan legislation with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to help health care providers invest in information technology to improve patient care and lower administrative costs. 
  • Create more competition to cut prescription drugs prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices, allowing the re-importation of prescriptions from Canada, and providing citizens access to lower-priced generic prescription drugs.

Create a Level Playing Field for American Manufacturers and Workers

  • Establish a Chief Trade Prosecutor to enforce trade laws.  Senator Stabenow has introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to create the position of Chief Trade Prosecutor within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to enforce our trade agreements and to eliminate the illegal trade practices of other countries that are costing American jobs.  A companion bill (H.R. 4186) has been introduced in the House by Rep. Dave Camp and Rep. Sandy Levin.
  • Enforce the international trade rules against currency manipulation.  China and Japan are using currency manipulation, which is illegal under international trade rules, to add a tax on American exports and provide a discount on their own imports.  This means American products have a higher price in these countries, and China and Japan sell products that have an artificially lower price in the USA.
  • Stopping counterfeit auto parts and manufactured goods.  Senator Stabenow is a lead sponsor of the Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act which was signed into law on March 16, 2006.  This new law will add weight to existing trademark laws by requiring that all machinery, tooling and supplies used to make counterfeit items be destroyed as part of enforcement. In addition, the bill would ban the trafficking in labels and other trademark items that can be attached to counterfeit products.

Create Good Paying Jobs in Michigan

  • Passage of a transportation bill to create over 61,500 good paying jobs in Michigan.  Signed into law in August 2005, the SAFETEA transportation bill provides $1.123 billion per year in highway funding and over $594 million in transit funding, significantly increasing Michigan’s share of federal transportation funds. 
  • Repeal the antiquated law that provides a monopoly for Federal Prison Industries by passing the Levin-Stabenow bill, S. 749.  Currently, Michigan companies are prohibited from selling to their own government, even if their products are less expensive and of a higher quality than those offered by Federal Prison Industries.
  • Bringing resources to Michigan communities to create jobs.  Senator Stabenow has fought for hundreds of millions of dollars to assist Michigan communities with economic development and job creation.  From investing in our university research and technology programs, to funding local redevelopment initiatives to attract new businesses, and investing in our state’s infrastructure through airport, road and transit projects, Senator Stabenow has fought for dollars that create Michigan jobs. 

Protect Workers’ Pensions

  • Fighting for a pension reform bill that treats U.S. manufacturers fairly.  Senator Stabenow stood up for Michigan workers and manufacturers and voted against pension reform legislation (S. 1783), because it would unfairly penalize our manufacturers - including the auto industry - and jeopardize workers’ jobs and pensions.  She is working to ensure that the final conference bill does not include these provisions that unfairly penalize Michigan’s manufacturers.
  • Strengthening multi-employer pension funds.  Senator Stabenow added an amendment with Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) to the Senate bill to make meaningful multi-employer pension changes to ensure the retirement security of millions of Americans.  The amendment will allow plans to fix themselves, preventing employers from going out of business because of their inability to make fund payments.

Promote Research and Innovation

  • Restoring funding for manufacturing technology and research programs.  For the second year in a row, Senator Stabenow led successful efforts to restore funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and Advanced Technology Program (ATP) in the budget.  Programs like the MEP and ATP have established business and university partnerships to improve manufacturing technology and have spurred over $300 million of economic activity in Michigan. 
  • Supporting funding for adult job training and dislocated worker retraining programs.  As many workers are hurt by international trade, Senator Stabenow has introduced legislation that would extend federal assistance to dislocated service and manufacturing workers and the communities in which they work.  In addition to providing enhanced unemployment benefits, this legislation provides training opportunities and assistance with maintaining healthcare.