Outsourcing

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While unemployment across the country reached a five-year low of 4.7 percent in March, the financial troubles and impending closure of many manufacturers in our area are very troubling. Georgia has been hit particularly hard by the reckless liberalized trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

While some members of Congress are even working to make it easier for multinational companies to bring foreign workers into our country and replace American workers with folks willing to be paid less, I am not willing to simply abandon American workers to the will of overseas markets.

You can be sure I will continue to fight outsourcing and encourage more domestic job opportunities. Manufacturers in particular are suffering from so-called “free trade” agreements that often end up hurting our economy. Such agreements, as well as our participation in international trade organizations, unnecessarily prevent the United States from imposing tariffs that would make the market fairer for our companies at home.

Given the challenges facing our local industry, including the proliferation of cheap imported goods from China and the Third World, it is imperative that Congress act on behalf of American manufacturers to give them the tools they need to maintain a competitive edge.

That’s why I support the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a nationwide network that helps manufacturers create high quality products more efficiently than foreign competitors. The MEP turns a $100 million federal funding investment into a program that generates $300 million for our economy. In Georgia alone, more than 15 regional MEP offices are led by experts at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, plus top industry leaders at Georgia Power and other leading firms. These folks provide small and medium sized manufacturers in Georgia with top-notch consultation and a link to 350 regional centers throughout the nation.

The state of Georgia has lost over 100,000 manufacturing jobs, including 45,000 in rural Georgia, since 1997. When faced with this striking reality, our employers clearly need the services that MEP provides. Firms participating in MEP claim responsibility for creating more than 50,000 new jobs, a $4.1 billion increase and retention of sales, and $912 million in fresh private sector investment for their firms since 1988.

Congress should do everything in its power to make America a desirable place to do business and prevent outsourcing. I will continue working to repeal federal regulations that needlessly get in the way of business development and growth. Continued tax relief for both businesses and individuals is necessary to expand our economy and encourage growth. Initiatives such as these will help Americans obtain and maintain good jobs to provide for their families.

I was elected to represent the people of the Ninth District of Georgia, not Wall Street or foreign countries. I am not satisfied to sit back and simply disagree on a matter of such grave importance to Georgia's Ninth District and the United States as a whole. I have actively worked against legislation that would encourage outsourcing and will continue to do so as long as I am a Member of Congress.