Lawmakers Introduce the Bring Jobs Home Act

Lawmakers Introduce the Bring Jobs Home Act

One continuing drag on the U.S. economy is the persistent problem of tax breaks for corporations that ship American jobs overseas.  Rather than use tax dollars to reward companies for sending jobs overseas, Congress should encourage companies to bring jobs home.  On July 19, a number of lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee, including Rep. Levin, introduced the Bring Jobs Home Act [H.R. 6152] to provide tax credits to businesses that bring jobs and business operations back to America.

Levin Backs Bill to Preserve Effectiveness of Antibiotics

Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a study acknowledging that federal agencies are not doing enough to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria to public health.  The report stated, “Antibiotics have saved millions of lives by controlling infectious diseases, but the continued effectiveness of these drugs is now jeopardized by the emergence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics....  Antibiotic-resistant infections can result in the use of more expensive drugs for treatment, longer hospital stays, and even death.”

The GAO report highlighted the problem of overuse of antibiotics in animal production, which can cause animals to become reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  To combat this problem, Rep. Levin has cosponsored legislation by Rep. Louise Slaughter, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act [H.R. 965], which would phase out the use of medically important antibiotics in animals where no disease is present, while still permitting the treatment of sick animals.

The Week Ahead

This week the House will debate yet another giveaway bill to Big Oil.  Since the GOP took control, the House has spent over 100 hours of valuable Floor time on 11 separate drilling bills over the last 18 months. H.R. 6082 would require oil and gas leasing over vast areas off the East and West Coasts and in Bristol Bay, Alaska, while preventing proper environmental review.  Later in the week, the House will debate another bill [H.R. 4078] that would impede the ability of federal agencies to protect public health, welfare, safety, and our environment, by mandating a one-size-fits-all moratorium on any and all major new regulations.