Politics

WSJ Poll Shows GOP Leaders Are Out of Touch on Outsourcing

By Karina

The front page of today?s Wall Street Journal outlines more details on just how out of touch Congressional Republicans are. According to Friday?s WSJ /NBC News poll, a strong majority of Americans are concerned with outsourcing:

The Wall Street Journal explains the widespread concern about outsourcing:

Worries about side effects of trade and outsourcing seem one of the few issues on which Americans of different classes, occupations and political persuasions agree. The vote in the House last week to arm the administration with more levers to pressure China to let its currency rise, and thus restrain its export machine, was bipartisan: 249 Democrats and 99 Republicans voted for it.

Last week, the top three House Republican leaders ? Republican Leader John Boehner, Republican Whip Eric Cantor, and Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence ? voted against the landmark China currency bill that would create and preserve 1 million manufacturing jobs in America. And the Congressional Republicans? so-called ‘Pledge to America’ also ignored one of the most popular suggestions on their website?ending tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship good-paying American jobs overseas.

Here are findings from our new report on the Congressional Republican record on outsourcing American jobs:

Over the last four years, Republicans have voted 11 times to protect tax breaks for corporations that ship American jobs overseas, keep off-shore tax havens for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and other similar loopholes. These tax breaks cost American taxpayers more than $60 billion.

Under President Bush, Republicans voted 8 times to expand tax breaks for outsourcing and protect corporations moving to offshore tax havens.

And under Republican control, U.S. multinationals eliminated 1 million American jobs, while adding 2.5 million jobs abroad (1999-2007).

While Republicans attempt to block bills clamping down on tax breaks for corporations shipping jobs overseas, House Democrats are working on a ‘Make It In America’ manufacturing strategy to spur American job creation and innovation.

Full post as published by The Gavel on October 04, 2010 (boomark / email).