GOP filibuster kills
‘Bring Jobs Home Act’
Co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the bill provided
an incentive for businesses to bring jobs back to America
WASHINGTON (PAI) — A Senate
Republican filibuster once again killed a
pro-worker bill that would end tax sub-
sidies for U.S. companies that ship jobs
overseas, and reward U.S. companies
that bring jobs back to the United
States. Republicans filibustered essen-
tially the same bill in 2012.
S. 2569 — the Bring Jobs Home Act
— had majority support in the Demo-
cratic-controlled Senate, but 60 votes
were needed to end a GOP-led fili-
buster. [Keep in mind, there was no ac-
tual debate taking place. It was a ‘silent’
filibuster.] A July 30 vote didn’t reach
the mark, falling 54-42.
The Steelworkers lobbied hard for
the bill. The union’s delegation visited
AUGUST 15, 2014
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
lawmakers the week before the vote,
and union President Leo Gerard wrote
to each senator, urging its passage.
Union members also sent a flood of
phone calls and e-mails to senators.
“Commerce Department data show
during the 2000s that U.S. companies
cut their workforces in the United States
by a staggering 2.9 million jobs, while
simultaneously creating 2.4 million jobs
overseas,” Gerard said. “Too many of
our tax policies continue to reward
multinational companies — companies
that have for far too long been off-
shoring jobs — regardless of the harm
caused to ordinary working Americans
and the nation’s treasury, as they forgo
paying taxes for doing so.”
Chamber of Commerce pressure
rounded up enough Republicans to kill
the bill.
“Steelworkers members understand
the importance of this vote. We will not
give up on this important jobs legisla-
tion, and will make it a benchmark of
Election 2014 for senators up for re-
election,” Gerard said.
Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an
original co-sponsor of the bill, said: “It’s
incredibly frustrating that a minority of
senators are blocking this common-
sense measure. In Oregon, manufactur-
ing is the backbone of our state’s econ-
omy. If we don’t make things in
America, we won’t have a middle class
in America.”
The Bring Jobs Home Act was the
latest in a line of union-backed pro-
worker bills that fell victim to Republi-
can filibusters in the GOP-hamstrung
113th Congress. The others included
three tries to extend federal benefits for
the long-term jobless, and an equal pay
for equal work bill.
All of the filibusters point up the
contrast between the two parties in the
run-up to the November election, where
Democrats defend 21 of the 35 avail-
able Senate seats.
Fifty-one Democrats and both inde-
pendents voted for cloture to end debate
so that an up-or-down vote could be
taken on the Bring Jobs Home Act.
They were joined by Maine Republican
Susan Collins.
Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) was
the lone Democrat to vote against clo-
ture. Three Republicans and a Democ-
rat did not vote.
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