Issue Position: Economic R.E.V.I.V.A.L.

Issue Position

I have fought to ensure that all hard-working Americans are guaranteed a living wage and secure retirement. I believe that parents should have time to spend with their families instead of having to work multiple jobs just to put food on the table. And I have been a vocal opponent of more bailouts for Wall Street at Main Street's expense. Here are some of the ways I have fought in Congress for economic fairness:

Relief for Small Businesses

* Voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included the largest middle-class tax cut in history, and has made significant investment in local schools, highways, and law enforcement -- investments felt on Main Streets every day
* Voted against releasing the second $350 billion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), or the Wall Street bailout
* Introduced a bill to give a tele-work tax credit to businesses who hire employees in small towns and rural communities who can work remotely
* Co- sponsored H.R. 3457, the Small Business Credit Card Act of 2009, which would give small businesses the same protections that individuals received under the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009
* Co-sponsored H.R. 4067, the Business Checking Fairness Act of 2009, which would repeal a law that prevents small businesses from earning interest on their business accounts

Energy Solutions

* Voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which will reduce carbon emissions, create new jobs in the clean energy economy, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil
* Voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided the largest federal investment in clean energy technology to date
* Convened a New Energy Summit and created a New Energy Blueprint as a roadmap for putting the 5th District at the forefront of the clean energy economy
* Co-sponsored H.R. 1775, the Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation (GREEN) Act. The bill would provide support to develop career and technical education programs of study and facilities in the areas of renewable energy through a new competitive grant program
* Co-sponsored H.R. 3083, the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act of 2009, which would establish a program for the award of grants to states to establish revolving loan funds for small and medium-sized manufacturers to improve energy efficiency and produce clean energy technology
* Co-sponsored H.R. 3919, the Clean Energy Business Zone Act. The bill provides at least $1.2 billion in tax incentives for small businesses involved in clean energy technologies in specific zones designated by the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of HUD, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Target communities will be those most in need of revitalization and best positioned to establish vibrant, clean energy economies
* Co-sponsored H.R. 4226, the Expanding Building Efficiency Incentives Act. Congressman Perriello was a Democratic lead on the introduction of this bipartisan energy efficiency bill. The bill extends and expands five key energy efficiency incentives for the construction of a new home, retrofitting an existing one, upgrading commercial properties to conserve energy and cut energy costs, and assisting consumers seeking assessments of home energy usage. The National Association of Home Builders is supportive of the bill.

Vocational Training and Strong Schools

* Introduced a $2,500 tax credit for college and commuity college education that could apply to expenses like textbooks for the first time. I'm proud to say this was the first bill I wrote that was passed into law as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
* Introduced an amendment, which was passed into law, that would ensure disparities between urban and rural areas are addressed in early childhood education
* Introduced a bill which would establish a national advisory committee on rural education within the Department of Education

Infrastructure

* Obtained $29.8 million of stimulus funds to pay for the Robertson Bridge project in Danville
* Obtained $6.3 million for repairs to 17 bridges and culverts in Nelson county, as well as $6.8 million for repaving major roads in Charlottesville and Albemarle County
* Directed $5.5 million in stimulus funds towards three bridge projects in Pittsylvania County and $200,000 for Danville's transit system

Virginia Workers First

* Supported the "Buy American" provisions in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act
* Fought against an unfair extension of unemployment benefits that would not benefit Virginia, forcing a change in legislation to extend unemployment benefits for all states and providing support for those in job transition
* Continue to support a new direction on trade to support good paying manufacturing jobs
* Voted to protect credit card holders from unfair practices of credit card companies

Agriculture

* Introduced H.R. 4208, which would raise the estate tax exemption for the special use valuation of farmland to $3.5 billion
* Co-sponsored H.R. 3674, the Milk Import Tariff Equity Act, which would update existing tariff- rate quotas to include milk protein concentrate (MPC) and protect domestic dairy farmers
* Co-sponsored H.R. 3227, which would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend and expand the charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory
* Co-sponsored H.R. 1831, the Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2009, which would make permanent the enhanced tax deduction for land conservation easement donations
* Co-sponsored H.R. 3050, the American Family Farm and Ranchland Protection Act, which would protect farmland by increasing the tax incentives for land subject to conservation easement

Leadership

* Posted all earmark requests online to promote transparency in the appropriations process
* Original cosponsor of H.R. 2038, the Clean Law for Earmark Accountability Reform (CLEAR) Act, which would prohibit House members from accepting campaign contributions from executives or lobbyists for businesses and then sponsoring earmarks for those entities in the same election cycle.
* Supported posting legislation online at least 72 hours before a vote


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