Issue Position: Jobs And The Economy

Issue Position

I am committed to making it easier for small businesses to grow and hire new workers, which is why the first bill I introduced was the bipartisan Small Business Paperwork Relief Act. This legislation waives fines for most first time federal paper work infractions made by small businesses. It's hard enough being an entrepreneur; we should be cutting a break to our small businesses, not overwhelming them with fines for paperwork errors.

In the National Defense Authorization Act (the major annual defense policy bill which passes through the Armed Services Committee), my amendment increasing the small business prime contracting goal from 23% to 25% passed the House of Representatives. This provision would allow small businesses to earn an additional $10 billion annually in new work.

Manufacturers in the 8th District tell me that they have positions they need filled but are unable to do so because they cannot find qualified candidates. With too many talented Americans still out of work, it is imperative that they have access to retraining so that they can fill these manufacturing jobs and help America compete in the global economy. I've supported and will continue to advocate for legislation that makes it easier for manufacturers to invest in equipment, facilities and job training.

We need to give Americans the opportunity to receive the training needed to be competitive candidates for manufacturing jobs. That is why I am an original cosponsor of the Manufacturing Reinvestment Account Act, which would allow manufacturing firms to establish a manufacturing reinvestment account (MRA), similar to an individual retirement account (IRA) in a community bank, and make annual pre-tax contributions of up to $500,000 that may be held in the MRA for up to 7 years.

I also believe that investments in our infrastructure and transportation are crucial to creating jobs. I've advocated for construction of the Elgin-O'Hare Western Access project, which broke ground in October of 2013. The project is expected to create 65,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2040 and save drivers $145 million annually in time and fuel costs. I also support the establishment of a national infrastructure bank that will bring our region more projects like this.

Through networking events such as the one I hosted for women in business and aspiring entrepreneurs, constituents are able to network and access resources for building their own businesses. It is important to me to serve as a resource for small businesses in the 8th District, and I will continue to make every effort to support small businesses and our local economy.

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