Senator Claire on getting American jobs back

I wrote our Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill on doing away with tax breaks for offshoring manufacturing and other work that could and should, of course, be done here in the States.

It seems difficult to believe our government representatives would have ever--EVER--given tax cuts to companies so they could offshore manufacturing and even profits but hey, that's what you get from a system that allows the wealthy and corporations to give campaign contributions (read: bribes) to our legislators for whatever legislation those wealthy people and corporations might want.

So, with that, Sen. McCaskill wrote me back the following:

For the past several decades, outsourcing has devastated many communities in the United States.  The jobs that have been most affected by outsourcing tend to be jobs with good wages and benefits, including many manufacturing jobs.  Plant closures can devastate communities, especially small communities where there may not be another major employer. 

And here's where it got good:

Unfortunately, tax and other policies in the United States actually can serve to encourage outsourcing, something I consider an outrage.  I am proud to co-sponsor S. 337, the Bring Jobs Home Act.  If enacted, this bill would cancel tax breaks for companies that move work overseas, including deductions for moving and other expenses.  The bill would also create a 20% tax credit for companies that move work to the United States.  The Bring Jobs Home Act has been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance, of which I am not a member, where it awaits further consideration.

You may be interested to know that I also believe that the American people should be able to know which companies are planning to outsource jobs, so that they can use their knowledge to make informed decisions in their communities and in the marketplace. 

That's why I introduced S. 3425, the Offshoring Notification Act, in the 112th Congress. 

This legislation would require any company planning to move jobs overseas to let affected workers know at least two-months in advance.  I also co-sponsored S. 3392, the Outsourcing Accountability Act, which would require big public companies to disclose in their financial statements the number of workers they employ in the U.S. and how many they employ overseas. 

So there are two things, at minimum, this Senator has done for us, the people and working and middle- and lower-classes.  Two things this Democrat has done for us.

Two big things that separate the Democrats from the Republicans, to be sure. 

So, if you're reading this (either of you), you might contact Sen. McCaskill and tell her you support her and this legislation and, more importantly, you should contact Missouri's other Senator, Roy Blunt, and tell him he should support it, too.

Cutting tax deductions for offshoring manufacturing--and profits--would go a long way to bringing jobs back home to our shores.

To us.