Scott Brown on Jobs – A Real Record, and a Plan for the Future
Unlike Elizabeth Warren, Scott Brown has a plan to work across the aisle to grow the economy and create jobs here in Commonwealth, no matter who is elected President. He will be the same person he has always been – someone who puts Massachusetts and America first. That’s because Scott Brown doesn’t believe that one political party is right 100% of the time. No party has a monopoly on good ideas. Instead, a good idea is any idea that will move America forward on creating jobs, strengthening our communities, or restoring trust in our government and our elected officials. There are certain policies that Scott Brown believes he can work on, no matter who is president, such as expanding opportunities for women-owned small businesses.
Scott Brown’s 2 Year Senate Record on Jobs Legislation
With an unemployment rate that remains at unacceptably high levels, Senator Brown’s top priority as a U.S. Senator has been to advance policies that will create and save Massachusetts jobs. One of his first votes as a U.S. Senator was in favor of a Democratic jobs bill – the HIRE Act – and Brown also was one of the earliest to introduce legislation to provide a payroll tax cut for working families, a policy that has put an extra $1000 in workers’ pockets for the past two years. Senator Brown has voted more than 50 times to advance legislation related to creating jobs and boosting our economy, including 24 times against the majority of his own party. Despite being a junior Senator in the minority party in the Senate, in a span of just two and a half years, Senator Brown has been invited to stand with President Obama at the White House on three separate occasions to see his legislative efforts signed into law.
Reducing the burden on small businesses: Senator Brown led the efforts to repeal the 3 percent withholding tax that would have saddled Massachusetts employers who do business with the government with severe cash flow problems. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) considered the requirement to be an unfunded mandate on state and local governments. The provision would have cost billions more to implement than it would have raised in new revenue for the government. Brown’s repeal bill was signed into law on November 21, 2011. Brown also sponsored the repeal of the 1099 reporting mandate that would have crushed Massachusetts jobs.
Hiring our Returning Servicemembers: Senator Brown has worked tirelessly to reduce the unemployment rate among recent veterans, which in some states is more than twice the national average. Brown introduced his own “Hire a Hero” bill in February 2011 to create incentives for businesses to hire unemployed vets, and after nearly a year of advocacy, the Brown-sponsored “VOW to Hire Heroes” amendment was signed into law on November 21, 2011. Brown was invited to stand at the White House when it was signed, and President Obama mentioned the bipartisan initiative in a presidential debate.
“Crowdfunding” to provide grassroots funding for start-ups: Studies by the Kauffman Foundation on innovation and U.S. competitiveness found that new businesses have been the primary source of American job creation over the past 25 years. With many businesses lacking the funding needed to hire, Senator Brown introduced the first “crowdfunding” bill in the Senate, which would allow entrepreneurs to raise up to $1 million in capital from regular citizens over the internet without being subject to onerous red tape. Brown worked across the aisle to introduce a compromise version of the bill – the CROWDFUND Act – and he stood with President Obama at the White House when he signed it into law in April 2012.
Senator Brown’s Plan
Senator Scott Brown has a jobs agenda that will put people to work right here in the Commonwealth. Reflecting Brown’s determination to get things done regardless of who is elected president, Brown’s plan includes priorities where he could work together with either President Obama or Governor Romney.
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A Jobs Plan to Let America Be America |
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More Likely with President Obama |
More Likely with Mitt Romney |
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Reform our Job Training Programs |
Repeal the Medical Device Tax |
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Expand Opportunity for Women Entrepreneurs |
Keystone / Energy Independence by 2020 |
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Boost American Manufacturing |
Balanced Budget Amendment |
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Clean Energy Jobs |
Crack Down on China and Expand Exports |
The Eight Point Plan
1) Keep Taxes Low on Small Businesses, Repeal the Medical Device Tax and Reform our Uncompetitive Tax Code
Higher taxes on American businesses make our products less competitive, destroying jobs. The medical device tax included in the federal health care legislation is a jobs killer for Massachusetts. The medical device industry is huge in the state, with hundreds of companies employing 25,000 people. If it is not repealed, this tax will kill 43,000 jobs across the country and employees will suffer $3.5 billion in lost wages. Massachusetts stands to lose thousands of jobs, while many will simply never be created in the Commonwealth as businesses shift work elsewhere. The last thing we need to do during this economic downturn is raise taxes that will harm employment in the Commonwealth. Senator Brown has introduced legislation to repeal the tax without damaging the deficit, and would work to repeal the medical device tax so that this industry will continue to grow and thrive in the Bay State. Both President Obama and Mitt Romney support lowering the corporate tax rate – currently the highest in the industrialized world- to make America more competitive. This is something Elizabeth Warren has not said she would support. Furthermore, in 2011 alone, 61,248 pages of regulations were added to the federal register, including 468 new rules at an estimated cost to our economy of $79.9 billion dollars and an added paperwork burden of 81.9 million hours. In addition, when creating regulations, concerns of small businesses and individuals – who will bear the disproportionate share of the costs – are often overlooked.
2) Better job training for unemployed workers who need to keep skills sharp
Earlier this year, Senator Scott Brown introduced the “Learn to Earn Reemployment Training Improvement Act of 2011” (S. 1743). This critically needed legislation would give those on unemployment insurance the option to receive paid, on-the-job training at private businesses, helping workers keep skills sharp in real work environments that are relevant to their prior work experience. President Obama has announced an intention to train two million workers with the skills for good jobs through new partnerships with employers, and the President also introduced a similar job training proposal in his own jobs plan in 2011.
3) More Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs
President Obama’s jobs council has featured America’s need for more women entrepreneurs and business owners. As the author of the successful crowdfunding bill and other innovation legislation designed to boost Massachusetts entrepreneurs, Senator Brown is very frustrated that women-owned small business account for only 29% of our small businesses. The majority of women-owned small businesses earn only about a quarter of the revenue of men-owned small businesses.
With Massachusetts ranked 34th in women-owned small business growth in the past 15 years, Scott Brown has sponsored legislation to study why and how we can expand the number of women-owned small businesses, as well as their growth and profitability. For women entrepreneurs focused on growing their businesses, in a second term, Scott Brown would look to expand connections to various funding sources, such as new crowdfunding platforms and angel investing groups. Even though the federal government has a formal goal of awarding five percent of federal contracts to women-owned small businesses, our government has never met that goal and women-owned small businesses continue to lag behind in the federal contract marketplace.
To assist federal agencies in achieving their women-owned small business contracting award requirements, Scott Brown co-sponsored legislation to remove contract-award limitations and provide women the tools that they need to compete fairly for federal contracts. Scott Brown is a co-sponsor of legislation that would also allow women-owned small businesses to receive non-competitive contracts, when such contracts are permitted and appropriate. This legislation is supported by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Women Impacting Public Policy and the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc. Scott Brown is also pushing legislation to ensure that the Women’s Business Development Centers are reauthorized and expanded, which provides vital training and counseling to female entrepreneurs.
4) Boosting Manufacturing to Bring Jobs Home
As a member of the Senate Manufacturing Task Force, Senator Brown has prioritized creating manufacturing jobs in Massachusetts. The National Association of Manufacturers awarded Scott their2012 Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence. Senator Brown led the fight in the Senate to repeal a “stealth tax” on government contractors known as 3% withholding. Senator Brown also co-sponsored and helped repeal of the so-called 1099 reporting requirement in the federal health care bill that would have crushed manufacturers in Massachusetts.
Senator Brown will build on this past success of working with President Obama to pass bills that boost manufacturing opportunities. He and the President both agree that America needs a tax reform plan that will lower the corporate tax rate to make American products more globally competitive. The Administration and economic analysts have pointed out that due to a number of economic factors, for the first time in years, some manufacturing companies are seeking to bring back jobs that were sent overseas. Senator Brown crossed the aisle to take up the “Bring Jobs Home Act” that helps companies bring jobs back from overseas and will continue to work with the President to support the policy. The bill would give a tax credit for 20 percent of their expenses associated with bringing business activities back to the U.S.
5) Clean Energy
Senator Brown supports policies that help consumers save on energy costs and encourage fuel-efficient technologies. He filed a bill that would provide a tax credit to help convert older, inefficient fleet vehicles into energy saving hybrids. Technology for such conversions has been developed right here in Massachusetts. This would help businesses and individuals save on rising fuel costs while making our environment cleaner.
The Obama Administration has said that wind energy production in the US now supports over 75,000 clean energy jobs across the country. Senator Brown has co-sponsored the bill to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy (something Mitt Romney has said he will not support) to ensure we can continue to grow these jobs in the U.S. as part of a true all-of-the-above energy policy.
6) Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment
With nations in Europe in turmoil because of their unwillingness to tackle the tough issue of overspending, it is more important than ever that America signal to investors and businesses looking for certainty and stability that Washington can get its fiscal house in order. As a co-sponsor of a balanced budget amendment, Senator Brown will make sure that the world knows America is finally serious about fiscal responsibility and is open for business.
7) Approve the Keystone Pipeline and other traditional energy sources to make America energy independent by 2020:
Senator Brown supports approving private sector projects such as the Keystone Pipeline to expand supply and keep prices at the pump low. The pipeline would create thousands of union and non-union jobs while reducing our reliance on Middle East oil and making us more energy independent. The pipeline project would expand our energy partnership with a friendly North American ally who, if we don’t act, will instead partner with China. But that’s not the only new energy infrastructure we should build. Senator Brown believes that with recent natural gas discoveries in the Midwest, a new pipeline to New England would help keep electricity prices low for rate-payers, making Massachusetts businesses more competitive nationally and around the globe.
8) Crack down on Chinese trade practices and expand new trade opportunities
Senator Brown is an advocate for new export markets, but believes trade must be fair. He helped ensure passage of the free trade agreements (South Korea, Panama & Colombia) that allowed Massachusetts manufacturers to sell their products to more countries around the world. Senator Brown was one of just a few Republicans who crossed the aisle to support the expansion of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) – a program that protects workers displaced by new trade deals.
Senator Brown has also supported passage in the Senate of legislation that would empower the President to crack down on China due to its unfair trade practices. That bill has not yet gotten through the House, and it remains unfinished business. China still artificially undervalues its currency – a practice that must end. Senator Brown will work to ensure that China plays fair and Massachusetts workers are not disadvantaged.
