42 Republican Senators to American Workers: You Should Pay to Lose Your Jobs
Working America members sent thousands of messages to their U.S. Senators over the past few weeks in support of the Bring Jobs Home Act, which ends tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and creates a tax incentive for American companies to bring jobs back home.
The vote that was held today was the vote to consider the bill. Since 2009, Republicans in the Senate have required 60 votes to invoke cloture on every piece of legislation, and today was no different. To actually debate the bill, 60 Senators needed to vote on the affirmative.
The final vote on the motion was 56 to 42. With the exception of Senators Scott Brown, Susan Collins, and Olympia Snowe, every Republican Senator voted to not even consider the Bring Jobs Home Act.
We want to be clear about what this vote says. The motion was not to ban outsourcing, or to dictate what companies can and can’t do. The motion was to change the law so that American taxpayers are no longer subsidizing companies moving expenses when they pick up and leave town. The motion was to change the law so American workers no longer pay to help companies ship their jobs away.
Not only did 42 Republicans vote to say “you should pay to lose your jobs.” They voted to say, “we don’t even want to talk about this problem.”
That’s interesting. Because everywhere we turn we see a Republican Senator criticizing the President over unemployment. But it’s all part of the game for them.
They criticize a Recovery Act that they watered down and then tried to filibuster.
They criticize lack of action on jobs after filibustering the American Jobs Act, the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act, and the Rebuild America Jobs Act.
They praise the policies of governors who institute enormous budget cuts at the state level, which economists say is a key reason unemployment remains high.
They criticize the President’s action on immigration after filibustering the DREAM Act.
And now today, the script again repeats itself. “It’s outrageous that taxpayers are paying companies to send jobs abroad,” said the bill’s sponsor, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, “Instead of giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, Congress should cut taxes for U.S. companies that bring jobs back to America. We are going to continue to work to get Congress to put politics aside, put American jobs first and pass this bill.”
We agree. If your Senator refused to debate the Bring Jobs Home Act today, tell them how you feel about their vote. Call now.
Tags: Jobs, outsourcing
