Washington, D.C. - This past week, I was proud to vote for a jobs bill that will boost manufacturing throughout the country and in Western North Carolina. This bill is an example of how policy we set in Washington can impact American families at home and at work. Additionally, I am optimistic about my co-sponsorship of a bill to address the ruling in the Citizens United Supreme Court Case and to increase fairness in elections. This bill has bipartisan support and the backing of the White House. If enacted, it will do a great deal to make sure that voters, not corporations, have the loudest voices in elections.
Voted to create American jobs, sustain the environment & save families money
This week, I voted for a jobs bill to jumpstart the manufacturing industry while reducing our dependence on foreign oil. The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, H.R. 5019, will create roughly 170,000 American jobs in manufacturing by promoting domestically-produced clean energy products. By providing tax incentives and rebates to homeowners who install energy-efficient products and cut down on their household energy use, the bill will save American families as much as $9 billion over the next decade. The Home Star jobs bill passed the House with bipartisan support (246 to 161).
I believe in the job-creating potential of the clean energy industry. Most products created for home renovation, especially environmentally friendly renovation, are American made. This bill is an excellent example of how focusing on new types of products can create much-needed jobs on our soil. Roughly 2.2 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S. have been lost since December of 2007, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
The Cash for Clunkers bill showed us that families want to choose products that are environmentally friendly will do so even more often when it makes financial sense. The oil crisis in our Gulf region, coupled with the ever-present problem of getting oil from hostile nations, shows how important it is for our country to become energy independent. This bill will help the U.S. become more energy secure and, above all, provide a much-needed boost to our hard-working American manufacturers.
Co-sponsored bill to fight for transparency and accountability in campaigns
On January 21st, the Supreme Court issued a ruling arguing that corporations have the same political speech rights as individuals. Concerns were immediately raised that this ruling would open the door for corporations and special interests to effectively “buy” elections by purchasing campaign ads that could be cost-prohibitive for others to attain. This week, I cosponsored the bipartisan DISCLOSE Act to address these concerns and ensure transparency in elections.
The DISCLOSE Act requires organizations, companies or individuals funding political advertisements to declare their affiliation, just as candidates must endorse their political messages. It sets lofty standards for monetary disclosure by special interests, corporations and other such entities who seek to influence the outcome of elections. It prevents foreign companies from spending unlimited amounts to sway U.S. elections in their favor. It also bars Wall Street banks and other “bailed-out” industries from spending taxpayer money on campaign advertisements.
The Citizens United ruling raised a number of pertinent issues about how campaigns are run and financed in our country. Hundreds of Western North Carolinians called and wrote my office to voice concerns about the ruling and to demand increased fairness and transparency in elections. This bill is a great first step. It’s a bill that will protect the political rights of Americans, and prevent their important voices from being drowned out by companies and others willing and able to spend millions to buy candidates.
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