As Claire McCaskill launched a new TV ad this weekend highlighting her work to protect Missouri jobs from unfair trade practices, Todd Akin has an established record of turning his back on Missouri's workers and sending jobs overseas. Throughout his career, Todd Akin consistently supported legislation that gave companies greater incentive to kill American jobs by shipping them overseas.
“Missourians deserve a Senator like Claire McCaskill who will fight for jobs here at home, not someone like Todd Akin, who showd he's more interested in helping big corporations and Washington special interest groups,” said Erik Dorey, McCaskill for Missouri spokesman. “While Claire held both the Obama Administration and China accountable for bad policies that hurt Missouri jobs, Akin continues working to protect loopholes that reward companies for shipping Missouri job overseas. Todd Akin simply would not be a Senator on the side of Missouri's families.”
Beyond supporting policies that outsource jobs, Akin punished Missouri workers by opposing legislation aimed at helping those who lost their jobs because of outsourcing. Akin’s policies of helping corporations outsource Missouri jobs, and then ignoring those affected by his policies, is a painful double whammy to Missouri’s working families.
While Akin voted to kill Missouri jobs, Claire fought to save Missouri jobs by working to halt unfair trade practices employed by China. After hearing from Missouri businesses about the impact of these unfair trade practices, Claire took action on their behalf, urging federal agencies to rein in these unfair practices and help level the playing field for Missouri’s businesses.
As Claire continued to hear from Missouri businesses who were being put at a disadvantage by these unfair practices, Claire fought to save Missouri jobs by writing a letter to Obama Administration officials demanding that they properly enforce trade policies that combat “duty evasion,” then testified in front of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on behalf of Missouri Companies and was a co-sponsor of the ENFORCE Act in Senate.
BACKGROUND:
Akin Opposition to Cracking Down on Outsourcing
Akin Has Twice Voted in Favor of the Paul Ryan Budget. In 2011 and again in 2012, Akin voted in favor the Republican budget plan introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan. Among other things, the Ryan budget would convert Medicare into a “premium support system” through which the government would pay private insurance companies directly for each enrollee. [Vote 277, 4/15/11; Vote 151, 3/29/12]
- The Ryan Budget Would “Nearly Eliminate U.S. Taxes On American Corporations’ Earnings From Overseas Operations.” In March 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported, “House Republicans, searching for an election-year message amid a muddled political and economic landscape, will introduce a 2013 budget Tuesday that cuts tax rates and provides for just two individual brackets of 10% and 25%. The budget would end the Alternative Minimum Tax, which originally was aimed at the wealthy but ensnares a growing number of middle-class taxpayers each year. The plan would nearly eliminate U.S. taxes on American corporations' earnings from overseas operations” [Wall Street Journal, 3/20/12]
- Ryan Budget Could “Prompt American Firms To Avoid Taxes By Moving Operations Overseas Even Faster Than They Already Are.” In March 2012, the Wall Street reported, “The new budget also would lower the top corporate tax rate to 25% from 35% and plunge into the debate about how to tax companies' overseas operations. U.S. companies now pay the tax rate of the country where the outpost is located and then, if they bring those profits home, often pay some U.S. taxes as well. Under the Ryan-Camp proposal, companies essentially would pay just the tax rate of the country where the profits are earned. Republicans say the current system unfairly taxes corporations twice, hurts their competitiveness and discourages them from reinvesting in the U.S. The budget plan doesn't specify a tax rate for foreign earnings brought back to the U.S., but some Republicans previously have suggested exempting 95% of future foreign earnings from U.S. corporate tax and imposing a 5.25% tax on existing overseas earnings. Critics say such a move would prompt American firms to avoid taxes by moving operations overseas even faster than they already are, harming American workers and reducing investment in the U.S.” [Wall Street Journal, 3/20/12]
Akin Voted to Allow Government Contracts with Companies Shipping American Jobs Overseas. In January 2011, Akin voted against a motion that would not allow government spending on contracts with companies determined to have outsourced American jobs abroad. The motion to recommit required the Rules Committee to report an amendment that would specify that, when the House Budget Committee chairman set a discretionary spending limit for the remainder of fiscal 2011, no spending would be allocated for a contract with a company the Labor secretary determined to have shipped jobs abroad. The motion failed, 184-242. [CQ Today, 1/25/11; Vote 19, 1/25/11]
Akin Supported Federal Loans for Corporations that Move Offshore. In 2004, Akin voted against an amendment to bar federal loans to American companies that have escaped paying U.S. taxes by moving offshore. The provision would forbid such companies from getting loans from the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency that helps American export firms. An estimated 250,000 jobs were lost annually to off-shoring. In early June 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics downwardly revised projections for white-collar job growth for 2002-2012, based on accelerated job migration. The agency reported that seven of the ten occupations expected to gain the most ground were low-wage occupations that do not require a college degree. Technology consulting firm Gartner, Inc. estimated that ten percent of computer services and software jobs would be moved overseas by the end of 2004. The amendment passed 270-132. [AP, 6/30/04; 7/15/04; HR 4818,Vote 386, 7/15/04]
Akin Voted for Foreign Corporations’ Tax Loopholes Over First Responders’ Health Care. In September 2010, Akin voted against closing a corporate tax loophole which would have provided compensation funding for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, establish a medical program and reopen funding for individuals exposed to harmful debris. The loophole previously allowed foreign-based companies to use tax treaties to shift income outside the United States and avoid higher tax rates. The bill, formally titled the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, was named after a New York Police Department detective who participated in the ground zero effort and died on symptoms common to first responders. Under the measure, the Department of Health and Human Services would run a 10-year program to treat and monitor those with medical problems from the debris exposure. The program would also research conditions that may be related to the exposure, as well as diagnostic methods and treatment. Enrollment would be capped at 25,000 patients at any time. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the health care and compensation programs would increase spending by $7.4 billion and that New York would be required to cover 10 percent of the cost. The bill passed, 268-160. [CQ Today, 9/29/10; HR 847, Vote #550, 9/29/10]
Akin Opposed Helping Workers Who’s Jobs Have Been Outsourced. In 2004, Akin voted against a motion to add language to a job training reauthorization bill that would provide financial assistance equal to the trade adjustment assistance program for job training, job searching or relocation costs for veterans returning from active duty in Iraq and to workers who are unemployed because their jobs were moved offshore. The motion was defeated 197-228. [HR 27, Vote 47, 3/02/05]
McCaskill Fighting for Missouri Jobs
Post-Dispatch Investigation: Duty Evasion by Chinese Companies Hurt Missouri Businesses. In March 2011, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Missouri companies were being harmed when Chinese companies evaded duties leveled on their products. The story focused on the experiences of Mid-Continent Nail of Poplar Bluff, Leggett & Platt of Carthage, and M&B Metal Products of Alabama. All three companies had won cases before the U.S. International Trade Commission where they argued that their Chinese competitors were illegally dumping cheap products into the U.S. market and injuring U.S. companies in the process. However, even after the ITC leveled duties and tariffs against Chinese imports in an effort to protect U.S. manufacturers, those duties went uncollected due to lax enforcement by the U.S. government and “duty evasion” by Chinese companies – a practice whereby Chinese companies circumvent U.S. duties by routing their exports through third party nations, like Hong Kong and Malaysia. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/13/11]
McCaskill Demanded Answers from the Obama Administration on Failure to Enforce Duties Against Chinese Imports. “Sen. Claire McCaskill is demanding that Obama administration officials who oversee imports show up in her office to explain the failure to stem the flow of fraudulently imported Chinese goods. Citing a Sunday Post-Dispatch investigation, McCaskill, D-Mo. asserted in a letter late Thursday that American businesses lose confidence in trade policies and government when federal agencies fail to enforce the law. ‘I am extremely frustrated that foreign companies are still flouting U.S. law despite protests from U.S. companies,’ she wrote. The letter was addressed to Alan Bersin, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, and John Morton, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both agencies are part of the Homeland Security Department. The Post-Dispatch reported that companies from Missouri and elsewhere have failed to get cooperation from Customs officials after winning their trade cases in front of the U.S. International Trade Commission.” [McClatchy, 3/18/11]
McCaskill Testified on Behalf of Missouri Companies Injured by Duty Evasion. After learning that Missouri companies like Mid Continent Nail and Leggett and Platt were being exploited by cheap Chinese imports, McCaskill testified in front of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on the lack of enforcement by U.S. agencies like the Commerce Department and Homeland Security Department’s Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office. "Missouri jobs are at stake here," said McCaskill, citing companies in the state that have been affected. "We are complicit in allowing our federal government to ignore laws that are doing more harm in my state, in terms of job creation, than many other things that we spend more time on" to try to create work. [St. Louis Beacon, 5/5/11]
McCaskill Cosponsored the Bipartisan ENFORCE Act. In May 2011, McCaskill cosponsored the Enforcing Orders and Reducing Customs Evasion (ENFORCE) Act of 2011 along with Republican Sens. Roy Blunt, Rob Portman, Jeff Sessions and Olympia Snow, legislation to improve the nation’s ability to combat foreign trade cheaters evading U.S. trade laws. The ENFORCE Act would establish a rapid-response timeline by which U.S. Customs and Border Patrol would be required to respond to allegations of duty evasion. During the course of its investigation, CBP would take steps to ensure that if it determines import duties are owed, that those duties will be collected. [Thomas.gov, S. 1133]
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