Republicans Block Murphy from Bringing Jobs Bill to the Floor

Press Release

As the Republican leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives continues to fail to bring any legislation up for a vote that will create or protect American jobs, today Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) attempted to bring his American Jobs Matter Act straight to the floor for a vote. Murphy attempted this as the House was debating another assault on the new health insurance reform law.

"While the Republicans spend week after week on every issue under the sun besides job creation, the manufacturers I talk to back home in Connecticut are hurting. We've got to stop outsourcing and make a commitment to these small businesses and our skilled workforce that our spending decisions support them," said Murphy.

The American Jobs Matter Act, which Murphy introduced a few weeks ago, would require all federal contracting officials to accept and solicit information from businesses regarding how many American jobs would be retained or created if their bid was chosen.

By giving domestic companies the ability to provide a "jobs impact statement," federal bureaucrats responsible for awarding federal contracts for goods and services will be able to see fully how their decision will affect our national economic recovery. Under current practices, loopholes in federal Buy American laws intended to steer federal purchasing towards U.S. companies have allowed too many tax dollars to be spent on goods from foreign companies, even when those same products are made within our borders.

In fact, in Fiscal Year 2009, 44,054 waivers of the Buy American laws were granted, worth more than $13.8 billion in taxpayer dollars. And in the final year of President Bush's term, 65,000 waivers were approved, a 450% increase over the previous year, shipping millions of American tax dollars overseas and affecting thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

Murphy was able to raise the issue of his bill during a procedural vote during consideration of an effort to repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund in the new health insurance reform law. Murphy's effort was thwarted by the Republican majority.

"Every day that goes by, we are missing opportunities to protect and create American jobs simply because the Republicans are singularly focused on rewarding the far right wing of their party. There is a time to debate social issues and aspects of the health care reform law that may need some tweaking, but now is the time for jobs. The American people are begging for relief, and this was a missed opportunity to support them," said Murphy.

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