Responding to the Bush Administration's view that sending jobs overseas will benefit the U.S. economy, Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd has announced the introduction of new legislation to ensure that hard-earned American tax dollars remain invested in America's workers.
"Workers in Connecticut and across the nation are first-rate. It is simply doesn't make sense to export their jobs and futures halfway around the world to save a few pennies," said Sen. Dodd in his announcement February 17.
"This administration needs to get its priorities straight, and use taxpayer dollars to invest in America -American workers and small business owners. This legislation is a step toward stopping the needless export of American workplaces."
Last week, the President's Council of Economic Advisors released a report advocating the outsourcing of jobs overseas.
Sen. Dodd said that the US is losing jobs and industry at an alarming rate and since 2001, the country has lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs. In Connecticut, more than 14 out of every 100 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last three years.
Sen. Dodd's United States Workers Protection Act would prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to outsource or take offshore work that is being done in the United States.
The proposed blockade focuses on three areas of government contracting privatizing of federal work, federal procurement of goods and services, and state government procurement using federal funds. Under this bill, state governments would not be eligible to receive federal funds unless they certify each year that such monies would not go offshore.
Earlier last year, Sen. Dodd and Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (D-Ct) introduced other legislation primarily focusing on immigration reform and aimed at protecting American workers.
The USA Jobs Protection Act would tighten loopholes that allow foreign workers to secure employment in the US when well-qualified American workers are available to do the same job. A number of sectors in Connecticut are harmed by loopholes in current law that allow corporations to bring foreign workers at lower wages and replace good paying jobs otherwise held by American citizens.
