Issue Position: Economy & Jobs

Issue Position

Job creation is Congresswoman Speier's top priority and every day she is looking for more ways to put Americans back to work. Although we are seeing the signs of recovery in our economy, too many people are still out of work. She is committed to job creation legislation that rebuilds our economy in a way that puts Main Street -- not Wall Street -- first. She has held six Job Hunters Boot Camps in the 12th District, helping more than 3,000 local job seekers improve their resumes and interview skills through workshops and one-on-one sessions with employment professionals, and connect with local businesses who are looking to hire.

Speier believes we need to see the words Made in America more often. She believes we can lead the world in manufacturing if we make the choices and investments now to rebuild our broken manufacturing industry and put people back to work making things again. Every time she meets with a company she asks them what it will take to bring jobs back home, and to increase hiring by those who are still manufacturing in America. She believes it is all of our responsibility to be more aware and to make choices to buy products made in America that will help rebuild our economy and create good middle class jobs. According to economists, 200,000 new American jobs could be created if every American spent just $64 more per year on American-made products. You can find information on companies and products that are made in the 12th District and the Bay Area by clicking here.

That's also why Speier worked with her colleagues in the 111th Congress to pass the Small Business Jobs Act - to increase much needed lending to millions of small businesses, and offer 8 new tax incentives to companies, so that they may expand, hire, and fuel our economy. Small businesses are the foundation of our economy and are an integral part of creating jobs and rebuilding the economy for the future. Speier believes we owe it to them to ensure that they have a business environment in this country that helps them grow and flourish. Increased access to capital and new tax cuts will not only keep jobs in America, it will allow small businesses to make it in America. While Democrats are working to rebuild our manufacturing base and create jobs, Republicans want to take us back to the failed economic policies of the Bush Administration that cost this nation 8 million jobs. They are threatening to repeal legislation that closed the loopholes that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas and voted against legislation to give small American businesses access to the capital they need to expand and grow.

Speier opposes efforts by Republicans to move legislation that would end guaranteed federal unemployment benefits (H.R. 1745) even though there is only 1 job opening for every 4 Americans looking. In December of 2010, most Republican Members voted to extend the tax cuts for the very wealthiest while agreeing to extend federal emergency unemployment insurance. But Republicans are a reneging on extending unemployment insurance. Not only does this bill threaten unemployment insurance benefits for more than 4 million out-of-work Americans, it could also destroy as many as 300,000 jobs this year.

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