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Congressional Democrats Unveil Make it in America Plan

June 1, 2011

Amid all of the rallies, speeches and emotion surrounding the opposition to governors and legislators who want to undermine collective bargaining for public employees, one question has been conspicuously neglected.  Where did the budget shortfalls hitting so many states—that right-wingers are blaming on public workers—come from in the first place?

Many factors contribute to budget problems but one stands out: The massive loss of manufacturing jobs has shrunk the tax base of municipalities and states.  In turn, the costs of providing a safety net for families whose breadwinners who would rather be working but are now unemployed and need public help have grown.

Members of Congress, particularly those from industrial regions, have introduced numerous bills have over the past few years by Congressional representatives to address what it will take to rebuild America’s manufacturing base.  On May 3^rd, Democrats in Congress took the unprecedented step of consolidating these pieces of legislation in the “Make It in America Plan” of the 112^th Congress.  The bills are listed below.  Visit the Campaign for America’s Future to learn more about them.

• Currency Reform for Fair Trade
•  National Manufacturing Strategy Act
•  Build American Jobs Act
•  National Infrastructure Development Bank Act
•  Innovative Technologies Investment Incentive Act
•  Build a 21^st Century Surface Transportation System
•  Workforce Investment Act
•  The Keep American Jobs from Going Down the Drain Act. 

The Republican response to the Democrats’ plan is a seven-point plan that includes calls  for reducing taxes on wealthy Americans, ratifying more free trade agreements (like Nafta) and weakening unions by stopping majority sign-up—where a majority of members in a shop can petition for representation and have their bargaining unit recognized by company managers and owners.

Says International President Edwin D. Hill:

Many of America’s trading partners have well-developed manufacturing strategies that help their nations’ work forces stay productive or make transitions into new careers when changes occur in their economies. The Make It in America plan is essential to putting more of our jobless fellow citizens back to work and making our nation more competitive.  I urge members to read the Make It in America Act, contact your elected representatives and then help to keep them accountable for seeing the changes through.

Hill cautions union members to keep their eyes open for any wavering by political leaders. He says:

Our union will speak out forcefully if any of our leaders who say they support the goals of the Make it in America legislation,  then come out in favor of more imbalanced free trade agreements that speed the outsourcing of jobs.

 

Photo used under a Creative Commons license from flickr user Markusram.