Issue Position: Jobs & Economic Recovery

Issue Position

Protecting Jobs in the First District

When Frank Kratovil took office in January 2009, the nation was in the midst of the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. Today, we are beginning to see positive signs of an economic recovery. The economy grew by 290,000 jobs in April, the highest one-month job increase in more than four years. Despite these encouraging trends, Frank understands that far too many Marylanders are still struggling to find a job and make ends meet. That's why he has fought to protect jobs here the First District, and why he is working in Washington to support policies that will encourage small businesses to grow, thrive, and hire new workers.

Small businesses are the job creation engine that are powering our economic recovery. Three out of every four new jobs created in the U.S. are created by small businesses. That's why Frank introduced a bill to quadruple the tax deduction for small business startup costs, in order to encourage entrepreneurs to start new businesses. Frank's startup deduction proposal, which has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, passed the House in March.

In addition to encouraging new job creation, Frank has also fought to help save local businesses providing good jobs right here in our communities. Last summer, Maryland's crab processing industry was threatened by bureaucratic red tape in federal guest worker programs. With many of these family-owned businesses facing closure, Frank worked tirelessly to pursue every option in Washington. Eventually, in response to Frank's efforts, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged errors in the H-2B visa allocation formula and granted Maryland's crab picking houses the visas needed to stay open, saving hundreds of direct and indirect jobs for local residents.

Likewise, when GM and Chrysler announced plans to shut down numerous automobile dealerships across the First District in violation of their contract rights, Frank went to bat to make sure these independent small businesses got a fair shake. It wasn't fair that same big automakers who got billions in the taxpayer-funded bailout would then turn around and force small, family-owned dealerships to close down against their will and in violation of franchise laws. Auto dealerships are a major economic driver of local economies, particularly in rural areas like the Eastern Shore, and Frank understood the ripple effects that these forced shutdowns would have on our communities. That's why he introduced legislation to force the automakers to honor state contract laws. With Frank leading the charge, the automakers backed down and instituted an appeals process for dealerships on their shut-down list. GM dealerships in Salisbury and Crisfield were able to successfully appeal their shut-down notices through this process, saving dozens of jobs at both locations.

Source