Congress’ Autumn To-Do List

By Taylor Garland
Sep 02 2015 |
U.S. Capitol Fall Foliage | Photo via Anthony Quintano

The 114th Congress is almost halfway through its term – and there’s still a lot to do.

Shortly after the midterm elections last November, the Alliance for American Manufacturing put together a to-do list. To no one’s surprise, Congress hasn’t accomplished a single thing on that list.

But we’re here to remind lawmakers what needs to be done when they come back from their summer vacation next week. These are places where legislators from both parties can advance policy to support American manufacturing and increase job growth.

Tackle America’s Infrastructure Crisis

Few issues attract more bipartisan support than infrastructure investment, and that’s because even Congress realizes that in a strong economy, manufacturers and other businesses need an efficient, reliable transportation network to get their goods into the market.

Congress passed another “patch” days before the summer break, extending funding until Oct. 29. This $12 billion provision marks the 34th extension for the HTF dating back to 2008.

It’s past time for a long-term, fully funded transportation bill. Remember: A six-year transportation bill of at least $100 billion annually would support upwards of 2.18 million American jobs and rebuild our underperforming infrastructure, according to Duke University CGGC.

Deter and Penalize China’s Currency Manipulation

Congress should, now more than ever, press the Obama administration to pressure trade cheats such as China to play by the rules and allow market forces — like hard work, productivity and innovation — to determine winners and losers.

China’s government wiped out four years of yuan appreciation in just three days in August. Then, China’s stock market continued to plummet, setting off a chain reaction for global markets. The U.S. relationship with China is deeply flawed, as AAM President Scott Paul writes in the Huffington Post:

The wisdom underpinning our entire bilateral economic entanglement – that American consumers will endlessly buy what the Chinese are selling, and all will benefit as a result – is increasingly suspect.

The proof is measured in hundreds of billions of dollars of annual trade deficits, as well as thousands of shuttered factories and millions of pink slips – all of which amounted to a lost decade for American manufacturing.

It’s time to put an end to currency manipulation. Congress should finish it's work on international trade by sending the Customs and Trade Enforcement package to the president's desk. This package should include improvements to trade enforcement at our border and Senate-passed legislation to deter and penalize currency manipulation that undermines American manufacturers. 

Open Foreign Markets, but Enforce the Rules

Trade agreements and trade policy have enormous impacts on the flow of goods and the location of production and jobs.

As Congress and the president consider the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and additional trade pacts, extra attention must be given to America’s manufacturing sector, which is still recovering from staggering job losses and plant closures — much of which has been the direct result of our government’s unwillingness to stop unfair trade practices.

Opening foreign markets to U.S. goods is a good thing. But for trade to be fair, there needs to be a strong set of rules on issues such as currency manipulation, competition with state-owned enterprises and rules of origin.