Issue Position: Jobs

Issue Position

Government doesn't create private sector jobs. What government can create is an economic and regulatory climate that allows America's job creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs the ability to grow and create opportunities for the millions of Americans who are struggling to find work.

Mike believes that the best jobs policy is one that unleashes the potential within America's job creators and reforms government to make it smaller, smarter, and more accountable to the American people.

Mike believes we can achieve this through a commonsense, seven-point job creation strategy that will get Americans back to work:

· Increase Exports -- American manufacturers make the best products in the world, and if given the opportunity to do business on a level playing field, they can compete with anyone. We need to be expanding our free trade opportunities while at the same time making sure trade agreements are fair, free, and enforced.

· Reduce Regulatory Burden -- There's a difference between oversight and over-regulation. Through his position on the Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Mike has been one of the leading advocates in Congress, calling attention to and fighting against government over-regulation.

· Flatten the Tax Code -- Job creators up and down western Pennsylvania agree that flattening the tax code, reducing rates and eliminating unfair loopholes where the government chooses winners and losers would be the most important thing Washington could do to help private sector job creation. This would provide job creators the surety in the tax code they need to plan for the future, grow their businesses, and compete in the global marketplace, where right now America has the highest corporate tax rate in the world.

· Increase Domestic Sources of Energy -- Pennsylvania has abundant natural resources such as coal, oil, natural gas, potable water and tillable soil. This can and should be the backbone of rebuilding our economy. Our state is sitting on the Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas and holds one-third of the world's coal. We know that 2 million jobs are sitting on the sidelines because Washington won't get its act together and develop a domestic energy policy. Investing long-term in research and development of renewable energies should also have a role in a national energy policy.

· Invest in Transportation Infrastructure -- We need to continue to strategically invest in our own transportation infrastructure. I believe we need to push for passage of longer term transportation funding bills that focus on the four Rs: Roads, Railways, Rivers and Runways.

· Encourage Entrepreneurship -- Through the patent reform the current Congress has started and restructuring / streamlining of workforce development and job training programs we can incentivize America's greatest minds to start and grow their businesses here. We must also ensure small businesses have access to the much needed capital they need to create family sustaining jobs.

· Increase Competitiveness for American Manufacturers -- Aggressive free and fair trade export policies should be the cornerstone of American manufacturing policy. Additionally, we need to be gearing our education policy towards science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and be encouraging our future workforce to pursue careers in manufacturing.

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