100 Days of Progress

100 Days of Progress
By Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito

5/6/2005

Breaking down the barriers that hold back West Virginias economy are top priorities of mine. The current session of Congress recently reached its 100 day mark and much progress has been made to help West Virginias Small Businesses expand and create new jobs. So far this year, I have supported the following bills that will help grow the economy and create jobs:

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (H.R. 6): The energy bill passed by the U.S. House sets America on the path to reducing our dependence on foreign oil while investing in West Virginia Coal and exploring different sources of renewable fuels and nuclear energy. This legislation will eventually lower the cost of gasoline. Soaring gas prices are especially difficult on small business. The coal provisions included in the Energy Bill will help secure West Virginia coal jobs by increasing the demand for coal and encouraging the construction of new Coal Gasification Power Plants.

Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005 (H.R. 8): Small business owners and farmers devote their time, energy, and money into building a business so it can be passed on to a son or daughter. In the absence of the Death Tax, these small businesses become a legacy for one generation to pass on to the next. With the Death Tax, families face a whopping tax bill on the property and assets even though taxes have already been paid annually by the owners.

Class Action Fairness Act (S. 5): When predatory trial attorneys shop for favorable judges to get multimillion dollar rulings, it drains billions from our economy annually. Small businesses on average pay $88 billion each year on lawsuits, which often goes to trial attorneys. The cost is passed back to consumers. This loss is basically a tort tax. With this new law, needless costs will no longer be shrugged off as the price of doing business, and small businesses will be able to hire more workers, as a result.

Highway Bill (H.R. 3): Good roads that get you to where you need to go safely are important to everyone. The Highway Bill will help fund critical improvements and expansions throughout West Virginia Not only will we be able to move products more efficiently, economists estimate that for every $1 billion dollars spent to improve our highways, 40,000 jobs will be created.

Job Training Improvement Act (H.R. 27): Workers need to have the skills for the hundreds of thousands of new and better jobs that are being created. The Job Training Improvement Act is another example of House Republicans commitment to creating the environment for job growth. This act breaks down barriers for millions of job seekers by streamlining bureaucracy and making sure they spend more time being trained for jobs of the 21st Century.

http://capito.house.gov/press_office/detail-page.aspx?id=25&whichone=column