Better Jobs, More Opportunity

Each summer I visit 100 businesses in Bucks and Montgomery counties to get a firsthand account of our local economy. Meeting with workers and owners provides me with critical insight to better represent them in our nation’s capital. It also is an opportunity to connect with moms and dads, Little League coaches and community stakeholders about the challenges and successes in their communities.

While the economy continues to sputter and workforce participation is at a 30-year low, there is reason for optimism. American manufacturing – including small businesses in our community – is poised to help drive our nation out of the Great Recession and into the second American Century.

In a recent survey of local manufacturers, commissioned through my office, I found that over 60% of respondents agreed that their company “intends to hire within the next six months” and more than 70% say they are “optimistic about [their] future success.” These businesses have good reason to be confident because we enjoy an abundance of potentially affordable American energy and access to the best trained workers in the world, coupled with the ‘can do’ attitude that typifies Americans.

While there is good news, there are things to be done on Capitol Hill to ensure the success of the workers and workplaces driving our prosperity. Through common sense, bipartisan proposals to increasing affordable access to American energy, closing the ‘skills gap’ between workers and family-sustaining jobs and investing in American infrastructure we can support manufacturers and businesses – not through handouts and carve outs – but through opportunity.

Good ideas aren’t limited to one political party or one geographic location. This report lays out a plan for an economic revival that puts our country back on the right track and increases opportunity for this generation and the next.

Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8)                  

 

Better Jobs, More Opportunity

INVESTING IN THE AMERICAN WORKER

The greatest asset to our nation is a strong and educated workforce ready to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow. Investing in ourselves means pointing our education system and job training programs toward careers of the future, closing the ‘skills gap’ between manufacturers and those looking for family-sustaining work and giving families the flexibility they need.

In the House, I’m working to sponsor** and support bipartisan legislation that empowers the American worker, including:

  • Skills Gap Strategy Act of 2014 [H.R. 4541]** - requires the Department of Labor to develop a goal- oriented strategic report that provides recommendations to address the national ‘skills gap,’ provides recommendations that increase the number of employees and employers participating in on-the-job training and apprenticeships, as well as increasing employer participation in education and workforce training. (referred to committee)

  • SKILLS Act / Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [H.R. 803] - eliminates and streamlines dozens of overlapping federal programs, and helps connect out-of-work Americans with the job training programs they need. (passed the House and Senate, signed into law)

  • America Works Act [H.R. 497]** - amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to encourage states and localities to prioritize education and workforce training expenditures and helps workers earn higher education degrees or certificates. (referred to committee)

  • Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 [H.R. 1406] – updates outdated federal law to allow private sector workers the same rights and options as government employees in giving the choice of paid time-off in lieu of cash wages for overtime hours worked. (passed House 223-204)

  • Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act [H.R. 1911] - takes the politics out of student loans by tying interest rates to the market, making paying for college and getting an education easier for students and families, and fairer for taxpayers. (passed House, signed into law)

  • Student and Family Tax Simplification Act [H.R. 3393] - consolidates four higher education tax benefits into one permanent, reformed American Opportunity Tax Credit. Provides a 100% tax credit for the first $2,000 of certain higher education expenses, including tuition, fees, and course materials. (passed House 227-187)

 

AMERICAN-MADE MEANS AMERICAN JOBS

American manufacturing has always been the engine driving the American economy. And while our recent recession has slowed growth, American manufacturing is poised – once again – to propel our nation and families forward.

Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District is home to over 700 manufacturing facilities that sustain more than 35,000 good-paying jobs. People in Bucks and Montgomery counties know that when they buy American-made goods they are buying quality products made by neighbors across the nation.

With that in mind, I’ve introduced the Made in America Act [H.R. 2664] – bipartisan legislation that would connect American consumers, and consumers worldwide, to American manufacturers like never before by creating a definitive, standardized definition for designating American-made goods.

The Made in America Act would establish an ‘America Star Program’ – similar to the popular and effective ‘Energy Star Program’ for appliances and electronics – and corresponding labeling to easily show the origin of the product.

By incentivizing manufacturers to meet certain ‘Made in America’ benchmarks for domestic production and providing consumers with reliable and easy to understand information, the Made in America Act can meet two valuable goals: reshoring American businesses and jobs by promoting American-made goods.

 

DECLARING AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

An ‘all-of-the-above’ American energy strategy is what American businesses need to grow our economy and create jobs and what American families need to reduce their costs at the pump or grocery store check-out.

Our nation’s abundant natural resources – from oil and natural gas to nuclear, wind and water – have positioned our country to step up as a world leader in energy production and export.  The recent surge in domestic energy production has also positioned the U.S. for a reshoring renaissance for U.S. companies, and as a destination for international businesses in fields such as manufacturing and bio-tech.

From bipartisan efforts to finally approve the Keystone XL pipeline which would result in thousands of good-paying jobs, to saying ‘yes’ to Pennsylvania’s natural gas, I’ve introduced** and championed efforts to support an energy strategy that will help us declare energy independence, including:

  • Northern Route Approval Act [H.R. 3] - approves the Keystone XL pipeline. Removes legal and regulatory obstacles that could delay construction for years. (passed House 241-175)

  • Hydropower & Rural Jobs Act (H.R. 678) - reduces unnecessary and duplicative costs holding back hydropower development – a renewable energy source that will bring jobs and revenue to rural areas. (passed House 416-7, signed into law)

  • Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act [H.R. 267] - expedites the development of hydropower and conduit projects, and requires the administration to study the feasibility of a streamlined permitting process.  (passed House 422-0, signed into law)

  • PTC Certainty and Phase-Out Act of 2013 [H.R. 2987]** - provides certainty for wind energy by extending the production tax credits (PTC’s) for six years while holding fast to a six-year phase out of the PTCs for wind energy manufacturers and developers. (referred to committee)

  • Offshore Energy & Jobs Act [H.R. 2231] - opens the most resource-rich areas to new offshore energy production, and requires the Obama administration to move forward with lease sales that have been delayed or canceled, providing the energy needed to revitalize manufacturing, create jobs, and restore our nation of builders. (passed House 235-186)

  • Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act [H.R. 4899] - would implement a drill-smart, job-creation plan that would require the Administration to move forward with new offshore energy production in areas containing the most oil and natural gas resources and require the Administration to hold specific offshore lease sales that were delayed or canceled. (passed House 229–186)

 

STREAMLINING REGULATION & REFORMING OUR TAX CODE

Regulatory Reform

One thing is constant when I talk to workers and employers across the district – the burden of ‘one-size-fits-all’ federal regulations. Ensuring safety and consumer protections are critical. We can protect workers, consumers and small businesses while looking for ways to cut through the red tape that forces workers to sink time and resources into paperwork and accounting, instead of innovating and delivering results.

Right now, the estimated cost of federal regulations in the United States is $1.8 trillion annually, a figure that amounts to nearly 12% of our nation’s gross domestic product. In addition, the time it takes to comply with those regulations rose to 10.4 billion hours.

Working to roll back outdated and misapplied regulations while keeping those that work is a bipartisan goal and I’ve sponsored** and supported legislation to do just that:

  • Regulatory Improvement Act [H.R. 4646]** - creates a bipartisan commission to review regulations with the goal of modifying, consolidating or repealing outdated, duplicative or inefficient regulations. The findings of the commission would provide Congress with a bipartisan plan to be voted on in both chambers as a straight up-and-down vote. (introduced in House and Senate, referred to committee)

  • Fostering Innovation Act [H.R. 2629]** – updates financial regulations for start-up’s and emerging businesses to ensure that new companies are investing in research and development instead of complying with regulations meant for large businesses. (passed committee)

  • Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act [H.R. 367] - reforms the outdated regulatory process that hurts private-sector job creation by requiring an up-or-down vote in Congress on any major new regulation with an economic cost of $100 million or more. (passed House 232-183)

  • Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act [H.R. 1105] - facilitates the growth of more Main Street jobs by reining in the excessive red tape that hurts small business investment. (passed House 254-159)

  • Innovation Act [H.R. 3309] – much needed, bipartisan patent reform that helps businesses better defend themselves against abusive patent litigation, promoting more private-sector growth, innovation, and job creation. (passed House 325-91, president supports)

  • Achieving Less Excess in Regulation & Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act [H.R. 2804] – requires the administration to account for the costs of excessive regulations and prevents new rules from taking effect if it fails to do so; helps minimize the impact of new rules on small businesses; and curbs "sue and settle" litigation that allows federal agencies and interest groups to circumvent the regulatory process. (passed House 236-179)

A Fairer Tax Code

Every dollar that Washington takes from hardworking American families and businesses is a dollar less to invest in growing our economy and putting people to work.

It costs American taxpayers six billion hours and $160 billion to comply with the tax code - from gathering receipts and reading the rules to filling out forms the IRS requires. For families, that means less time and less money.

Streamlining our complicated tax code is a bipartisan goal to increase certainty for businesses and taxpayers and drive down costs. Equally important is the need to protect law-abiding Americans from abuse by the IRS and increase accountability at the agency.

  • The Taxpayer Bill of Rights [H.R. 2768] - specifies the rights that citizens have when dealing with the IRS, including a right to privacy and confidentiality. (passed the House, enacted by the IRS)

  • America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2014 [H.R. 4457] - Strengthens the economy and spurs increased investment by permanently allowing small businesses to deduct, up-front, the cost of purchasing new equipment and property. (passed House 262-144)

  • The Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2013 [H.R. 523]** - amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on medical device manufacturers and importers. (introduced in House and Senate)

  • Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013 [H.R. 2429]** - amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and a $5 million lifetime gift tax exemption. Provides for an inflation adjustment to the exemption amount. (introduced in House)

  • Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act [H.R. 3086]** - amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. (reported to committee)

  • American Research & Competitiveness Act [H.R. 4438] - makes permanent the research and development tax credit utilized by more than 20,000 American small businesses to create jobs and increase economic growth. (passed House 274-131)

  • Permanent Bonus Depreciation [H.R. 4718] - makes permanent, policy that allows companies to deduct 50% of the cost of capital investments in the first year. Tax Foundation analysis shows that the legislation would add $182 billion to the economy and create 212,000 jobs in the U.S. (passed House 258-160)

  • Child Tax Credit Improvement Act [H.R. 4935] - makes the current child tax credit more accessible and equitable by increasing the phase-out threshold for the credit couples receive when filing joint tax returns from $110,000 to $150,000 and $75,000 for individual and married taxpayers filing separately. (passed House 237-173)

 

AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A 21ST CENTURY ECONOMY

Transportation is the lifeblood of our economy; affecting hundreds of thousands of people throughout Bucks and Montgomery counties and the region.  Be it public transit, state highways or rural roads, access to transportation means access to jobs.

With our nation’s infrastructure receiving a cumulative grade of “D+" from the U.S. Society of Civil Engineers, it is time to rebuild our roads and bridges to support a new 21st century economy. Without a doubt, a failure to properly invest the infrastructure requirements of a growing population and changing industries will halt the already-slow recovery of our economy – an outcome that should be unacceptable to our leaders and legislators.

Advancing infrastructure on Capitol Hill has a long bipartisan past, and one I’m working to advance through sponsoring** and passing common sense legislation:

  • Partnership to Build America Act [H.R. 2084]** - finances $750 billion in infrastructure investment without appropriated funds by using repatriated corporate earnings, as well as utilizing public-private partnerships. These projects will include transportation, water, energy, communication and education facilities.  (referred to committee in House and Senate)

  • Water Resources Reform and Development Act [H.R. 3080] - supports the nation’s vital ports and waterways infrastructure needs and supports effective flood protection and environmental restoration needs.  WRRDA also streamlines the project delivery process, promotes fiscal responsibility, and strengthens our water transportation networks to promote competitiveness, prosperity and economic growth.  Legislation contains no earmarks and makes major reforms to increase transparency, accountability and Congressional oversight in reviewing and prioritizing future water resources development activities. (passed House, signed into law)

 

UTILIZING THE MOST SKILLED WORKFORCE IN HISTORY

Our service men and women are the most highly skilled workforce in history – and they way to get our economy moving is to leverage their unprecedented skills.

By increasing access to post-military training and education for veterans, as well as giving veteran-owned businesses, a more competitive, level playing field, we can reduce an unacceptably high veteran unemployment rate and strengthen our economy.

  • Fairness to Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act [H.R. 2906]** - would provide veteran-owned businesses access to existing contracting preferences authorized for federal transportation projects. (referred to committee)

  • Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2013 [H.R. 1412] - increases the availability of on-the-job- training and apprenticeship programs to help veterans make the transition to the civilian workforce.  The legislation builds on existing, under-utilized on-the-job training programs that help veterans learn a trade or skill by participation in an approved apprenticeship or on-the-job training program. (passed the House, signed into law)

  • Veterans Economic Opportunity Act of 2013 [H.R. 2481] - establishes the Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration, which would be responsible for the administration of programs that provide assistance related to economic opportunity to veterans.  This includes activities such as administering vocational rehabilitation and employment programs, educational assistance programs, veterans’ housing loan programs, and the Veterans Small Business Program. (passed the House