Wolf, Warner unite on job creation.- Landing jobs for Virginians and Americans alike has the full attention of U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) this week.
Wolf, Warner unite on job creation
Friday, Jul. 15 by Hannah Hager
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/wolf_warner_unite_on_job_creation343/
Landing jobs for Virginians and Americans alike has the full attention of U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) this week.
Wolf and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) are both backing legislation that is now being pushed through the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill includes several initiatives to boost job creation in Virginia and nationwide.
Wolf’s Bring Jobs Back to America coincides with and builds upon Warner’s 2010 America Recruits Act, which establishes additional federal incentives for employers creating new jobs in rural and economically challenged regions of the country, according to Warner’s website. Wolf’s initiative targets three areas that he believes would foster greater economic growth in the private sector while creating jobs.
The areas include repatriating U.S. jobs overseas. The bill would create a national manufacturing strategy and establish repatriation task forces within the Department of Commerce to examine incentives and other factors needed to encourage U.S. companies to bring their manufacturing back home.
Wolf also hopes to increase the number of American companies that export overseas. The bill fully funds the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate, verify and enforce trade agreements that are free and fair and increases funding for export promotion.
Wolf has previously lauded the exportation of American products in the world market. During a May 2010 visit to Precision Auto Care in Leesburg with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Wolf said a business’s control of its sector in the regional market is no longer enough. He said he’d like to see more American brands abroad, which would create more jobs back home.
“The embassies abroad will be islands of economic development,” Wolf said at the time.
Wolf’s bill also aims to ensure an efficient patent process by fully funding the U.S. Patent Office.
Wolf is giving a hard push for his legislation after the June unemployment rate was released earlier this month. The nationwide unemployment rate stands at 9.2 percent, up 0.1 percent from May’s 9.1 unemployment rate. The June unemployment rate in Virginia will be released July 22, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.
“Americans see manufacturing as key to economic recovery and there are a number of positive ideas in this bill that will serve as the first step toward restoring the U.S. manufacturing base,” Wolf said in a statement.
The fiscal year 2012 appropriations legislation also directs the Department of Commerce to develop a program to assist states in vying for manufacturing and call center jobs against foreign competitors, according to a statement released by Wolf’s office.
The bill is currently in the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.