Issue Position: Jobs and the Economy

Issue Position

Deficit Reduction - Congressman Bishop co-chairs the Democratic Budget Group, a weekly meeting of House Democrats to discuss budget and related policy issues with outside experts and government officials.
Congressman Bishop is a member of the "GoBig" Coalition of 100 bipartisan House members who support a plan to reduce the deficit by $3-4 trillion over 10 years with a balanced mix of spending reductions and closing tax loopholes to increase revenue.

Congressman Bishop voted for the Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act of 2012, which creates a process that enables the President to constitutionally propose and the Congress to vote in an expedited manner on the elimination of unnecessary individual discretionary spending items passed in appropriations legislation. The President cannot unilaterally veto funding; the bill merely provides that if the President proposes a rescission,that proposal receives expedited consideration for an up or down, majority vote in Congress.

Congressman Bishop voted for the Budget Control Act that caps discretionary spending each year and results in $1 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years.

Payroll Tax Cut -- Congressman Bishop twice supported the payroll tax cut, which put about an extra $1,000 in Americans paychecks in 2011, and will benefit 160 million Americans, including 10.1 million in New York in 2012.

Unemployment Insurance -- Congressman Bishop also supported extending unemployment insurance to give millions of Americans who lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, temporary relief until they get back on their feet.

ARRA -- When the bottom fell out of the economy in 2008, Congressman Bishop fought hard to target federal investments towards tax relief, foreclosure prevention and infrastructure projects to put people back to work, keep them in their homes and prevent the economy from entering another Great Depression.

Infrastructure -- Long Islanders know that whether traveling by car, rail or plane, our area is one of the most congested in the country. The district also has roughly 300 miles of coastline and whose waterways support some of the largest ports in America. That's why Congressman Bishop made it a priority to secure a seat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As the only Long Island representative serving on this body, Bishop is a leading voice in New York to preserve federal investments in transportation, water and aviation infrastructure and has been on the front lines defending dedicated mass transit investments that keep New York's economy moving.

On Long Island, our beaches and waterways are critical infrastructure. Congressman Bishop has secured over $35 million ($35,375,000) to preserve and protect these vital resources. He works closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as state and municipal agencies to advance projects like dredging Shinnecock Inlet, Lake Montauk Harbor and Moriches Inlet ahead of schedule to ensure that the local fishing and maritime industries have access to these important harbors.

Stop Outsourcing -- The outsourcing of American jobs has taken a devastating toll on our local and national economy. Congressman Bishop supports keeping American jobs at home by offering tax breaks and other incentives to companies that maintain a strong domestic workforce. Congress must combat outsourcing by closing tax loopholes that incentivize job outsourcing and instead reward companies that invest in our American workforce.

H-2B Visas -- Congressman Bishop supports a strong H-2B guest worker program, providing an affordable and stable workforce for the East End's agricultural sector. Suffolk County has the highest agricultural yield of any county in New York State and it is imperative that we maintain our competitive advantage by providing local farmers with the resources and workforce needed to succeed.

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