Jobs/Economy

Temporary tax breaks and spending with borrowed money will not create long term growth or instill the stability in the marketplace that encourages job creation here at home. From safe and responsible development of Southwestern Pennsylvania's energy resources to ensuring local manfuacturers can compete globally on a level playing field, Rep. Murphy is working to support long-term private sector job creation.

Energy Equals Jobs

Rep. Murphy authored the Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence Act (H.R. 787) to expand safe offshore oil and gas exploration and reinvest those proceeds into public works projects. The American Energy Alliance estimates the plan would create 1.2 million new jobs annually and launch $8 trillion in economic output. His bill moves the nations towards energy independence while also rebuilding the nation’s roads, bridges, and sewer systems without spending your tax dollars, borrowing from foreign nations, or taxing other industries.

The Marcellus Shale has been a game changer for Pennsylvania’s economy. Today shale gas is helping to keep more than 214,000 workers employed and adds $12.8 billion to the state’s economy , promising continued expansion and growth. Protecting homeowners, community space, local workers, as well as our air, land, and water begins with a highly qualified and trained workforce. Local workers who live in the region, send their children to school here, and are part of the community have a vested interest in seeing things done right. In our area we have training programs that produce skilled workers who are second to none at no cost to the taxpayer to keep these jobs local.

Fighting to Support America’s Manufacturers

The U.S. has lost its position as the global leader in manufacturing for the first time in a century – not surprisingly, to China, which is successfully advancing a strategy of unfairly and illegally subsidizing its manufacturers and flouting its trading obligations in order to undercut American producers. A real economic recovery will not occur without a resurgence in manufacturing, and that is unachievable while we allow other countries like China to bend the rules and ignore trade obligations. 

Supporting American-Made Steel

As Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, Congressman Murphy is a leading voice in Congress for American steel.  Now is not the time to cede this industry to Brazil, Russia, India, or China.

In 2012, Rep. Murphy worked to secure passage of legislation (HR 4105) that clarified existing law so Chinese goods benefiting from government subsidies would face penalties when sold in the United States (Public Law 112-99). Murphy has led numerous Caucus letters to impose duties on illegally dumped and subsidized flat-rolled steel and pipe from China, India, Brazil, and Japan. Murphy has also pushed the Commerce Department to crack down on both Russia’s illegal steel dumping and tariff evasion by Chinese exports. And when the Pentagon sought to buy vehicle plate armor melted in China, Murphy pushed back and got the Defense Department to follow the law and buy armor made and melted in America.

Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act

The Chinese government does not play by the rules when it illegally subsidizes its industry and controls its currency’s exchange rate. These actions allow China to evade market forces and falsely gain a 40% competitive advantage over U.S. manufactured goods, which has contributed to America’s $256 billion trade deficit with China.  China's currency manipulation is estimated to cost American manufacturing more than one million jobs. Foreign governments like China must be held accountable for policies and programs that give their businesses unfair advantages within the international marketplace.

Congressman Murphy is co-author of the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act and led efforts to achieve House passage of the bill by a vote of 348 to 79 in September 2010. Rep. Murphy worked to build bipartisan support for the bill, navigate the bill through the House Ways and Means Committee, and produce a floor vote on the measure. The legislation, which was the signature agenda item for American manufacturers, empowers companies and workers to seek remedies under current trade laws when injured by a foreign country’s currency manipulation.  

Buy American

Rep. Murphy is the lead Republican sponsor of the American Steel First Act, which require the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland security to use only steel and iron made in America for use in any of these departments’ projects. In the 111th Congress, Rep. Murphy worked with Steel Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN) to ensure Buy American provisions were added to major infrastructure funding bills.