On Thursday night, Gov. Mitt Romney outlined his plan to create new jobs in America as part of his speech accepting the Republican party’s nomination for President. In time for Labor Day, POPVOX would like to spotlight the themes of his plan — and what’s been currently proposed by Congress related to these themes. (Read his entire speech.) The bills POPVOX is spotlighting are by no means endorsed by Gov. Romney or the Republican party. Rather, our goal is to offer POPVOX users a sampling of policy proposals already pending before Congress and a link of where to find more related bills.
Mitt Romney’s Jobs Plan
From Gov. Romney’s speech, in which he accepted the GOP presidential nomination, at the Republican National Convention on Aug. 30, 2012.
“I have a plan to create 12 million new jobs. It has 5 steps. First, by 2020, North America will be energy independent by taking full advantage of our oil and coal and gas and nuclear and renewables.”
- HR 1380 NAT GAS Act amends the tax code to encourage alternative energy investments and job creation.
- HR 909 Roadmap for America’s Energy Future: To expand domestic fossil fuel production, develop more nuclear power, and expand renewable electricity
- HR 4826 Supercritical Advanced Coal Project Incentive Act: To amend the tax code to allow additional investment credits for qualifying supercritical advanced coal projects.
- HR 1868 Clean Coal-Derived Fuels for Energy Security Act: To require the inclusion of coal-derived fuel at certain volumes in aviation fuel, motor vehicle fuel, home heating oil, and boiler fuel.
- S 512 Nuclear Power 2021 Act: To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of Energy to carry out programs to develop and demonstrate 2 small modular nuclear reactor designs.
- HR 49 American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish and implement a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the Coastal Plain of Alaska.
“Second, we will give our fellow citizens the skills they need for the jobs of today and the careers of tomorrow. When it comes to the school your child will attend, every parent should have a choice, and every child should have a chance.”
- HR 2218 ESEA Charter School Bill (Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act): To amend the charter school program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
- S 686 Charter School Quality Act: To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve public charter schooling by addressing quality issues.
- S 1566 Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act: To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 regarding public charter schools.
- S 92 21st Century Charter School Act: To amend the public charter school provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
See all bills related to schools and education pending before Congress.
“Third, we will make trade work for America by forging new trade agreements. And when nations cheat in trade, there will be unmistakable consequences.”
- S 433 Free and Fair Trade Act (and HR 913): To extend certain trade preference programs.
- HR 2287 NAFTA Accountability Act: To assess the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), to require further negotiation of certain provisions of the NAFTA, and to provide for the withdrawal from the NAFTA unless certain conditions are met.
- HR 1749 Reciprocal Market Access Act: To enhance reciprocal market access for United States domestic producers in the negotiating process of bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade agreements
See all trade agreements and trade related bills pending before Congress.
“Fourth, to assure every entrepreneur and every job creator that their investments in America will not vanish as have those in Greece, we will cut the deficit and put America on track to a balanced budget.”
- SJRes 23 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the US Constitution relative to balancing the budget.
- HRes 365 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should cut the United States’ true debt burden by reducing home mortgage balances, forgiving student loans, and bringing down overall personal debt.
- S 1340 Cut, Cap, and Balance Act: To cut, cap, and balance the Federal budget.
See all bills related to the federal debt, deficit and a balanced budget.
“And fifth, we will champion SMALL businesses, America’s engine of job growth. That means reducing taxes on business, not raising them. It means simplifying and modernizing the regulations that hurt small business the most. And it means that we must rein in the skyrocketing cost of healthcare by repealing and replacing Obamacare. Today, women are more likely than men to start a business. They need a president who respects and understands what they do.”
- HR 6079 Repeal Obamacare: To repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
- HR 3137 Small Business Freedom of Commerce Act: To permit small business concerns operating in the US to elect to be exempt from certain Federal rules and regulations.
- HR 3267 Protect Small Business Jobs Act: To provide small businesses with a grace period for any regulatory violation.
- S 1965 Startup Act: To jump-start economic recovery through the formation and growth of new businesses.
- HR 3219 Small Business Investment Company Modernization Act: To amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 with respect to small business investment companies.
- HR 4203 Women’s Procurement Program Improvement Act: To amend the Small Business Act with respect to the procurement program for women-owned small business concerns.
See all bills related to small businesses pending before Congress.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn’t imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we’re simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.
