This week Democrats added 23 new bills to the comprehensive Make It In America plan.
These new bills are not like the usual Republican "giving tax cuts to rich people fixes everything" nonsense. These bills contain real substance, and represent a great deal of hard work by representatives and their staff. These people are dedicated to governing and making things better for American workers.
Of course, Republicans are going to block these bills -- because "government." But instead of giving into despair and apathy you should take heart that there are people trying to make things work. And the public wants it to work, too. Poll: "72% of likely voters are “worried the most” or a “great deal” about manufacturing job loss, a level of concern matched only by the federal budget deficit."
So you should pay attention, and give these members of Congress credit for what they are trying to accomplish -- and vote.
National Manufacturing Strategy
It starts with a national manufacturing strategy.
The Rebuild American Manufacturing Act from Rep. Bruce Braley of Iowa "directs the President to develop a national manufacturing strategy that would identify sectors and emerging technologies in which US manufacturing can grow and be most competitive internationally. The strategy would encourage manufacturing companies to locate in the United States and develop strategies to help those sectors of the manufacturing industry that have the potential to flourish in a 21st century global economy.
The other new bills are:
- Made In America Act (Rep. Carney, H.R. 2664)
- Rebuilding American Manufacturing Act of 2013 (Rep. Kind, H.R. 2940)
- Job Creation through Energy Efficient Manufacturing (Rep. Cartwright, H.R. 4162)
- Technology and Research Accelerating National Security and Future Economic Resiliency (TRANSFER) Act (Rep. Kilmer and Rep. Chris Collins, H.R. 2981)
- Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Enhancement Act of 2014 (Rep. Kilmer, H.R. 3918)
- Small Business Growth and Investment Act of 2014 (Rep. Kuster, H.R. 4501)
- School Modernization and Revitalization Through Jobs Act (SMART Jobs Act) (Rep. Sean Maloney, H.R. 4826)
- Presidential Make It In America Awards Act of 2014 (Rep. Nolan, H.R. 4825)
- Accelerate Our Manufacturers Act (Rep. Schneider and Rep. Rice, H.R. 4822)
- The American Manufacturing Jobs for Students Act (Rep. Brownley, H.R. 4815)
- The Skills Gap Strategy Act (Rep. Cartwright, H.R. 4541)
- The On-The-Job Training Act (Rep. Crowley, H.R. 3971)
- Manufacturing Jobs for Veterans Act (Rep. DelBene, H.R. 4629)
- Workers Opportunity and Retraining Competitive (WORC) Grant Program Act of 2014 (Rep. Enyart, H.R. 4824)
- Innovative STEM Networks Act (Rep. Garcia, H.R. 4828)
- The Education for Jobs Act (Rep. Lujan Grisham, H.R. 4832)
- Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (Rep. Hinojosa, H.R. 3697)
- Youth Access to American Jobs Act of 2014 (Rep. Horsford, H.R. 4827)
- Twenty-First Century Manufacturing Skills and Jobs Act (Rep. Kildee, H.R. 4831)
- The Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act (Rep. Carolyn Maloney, H.R. 4833)
- JOBS Act of 2014 (Rep. Richmond, H.R. 4207)
- The Building Understanding, Investment, Learning, and Direction (BUILD) Career and Technical Education Act of 2014 (Rep. Schrader, H.R. 4782)
A Specific, Detailed, Targeted Plan
In 2011's post Democrats Plan Makes Jobs In America,
Congressional Democrats yesterday unveiled the Make It In America plan for the 112th congress. This is a set of specific, detailed, targeted bills that clearly create jobs and restore our economic competitiveness, beginning with a national strategy for manufacturing. This is very different from the vague, sloganeering, lobbyist-written plan offered by Senate Republicans.
The most important of these was the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (Reps. Levin and Tim Ryan, H.R. 639):Levels the trade playing field by holding accountable countries that create an unfair trade advantage by manipulating their currency. This passed the Senate but was blocked from getting a vote in the House.
Yesterday I wrote about the 2013 version, the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act from Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Burr (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Robert Casey (D-PA). This bill could bring back 5.8 million American jobs all by itself.
Democratic Whip Sten Hoyer should get much credit for pushing this Make It In America initiative so hard.
Click here to see the full descriptiuons of the new bills that have been added to the Make It In America plan, and here to see the list of all of the bills in the plan.