Posts for January 20, 2011

ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE PRIORITIES WILL IMPACT SMMS.

NAM Capital Briefing
Chairman Upton (R-MI) and Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have been circulating a document that lists priority issues for committee action in the new Congress. Small and medium manufacturers (SMMs) will be pleased that Chairman Upton has vowed to increase oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act and to oppose the Obama Administration’s policies causing increases in energy prices. The Committee will also keep a close eye on the EPA’s attempt to regulate coal ash under strict federal laws, which will have a direct negative impact on SMMs that beneficially reuse this industrial byproduct and generate coal ash on site. SMMs should also expect Chairman Upton to address issues such as nuclear oversight, Superfund and hydraulic fracturing.

HOUSE TAX WRITERS HOLD FIRST MEETING

NAM Tax Policy Committee
Ways and Means Kicks Off Series of Hearing on Fundamental Tax Reform The House Ways and Means Committee today held the first in a series of hearings on fundamental tax reform, with testimony focusing on corporate tax issues, including the corporate tax rate and the taxation of overseas earnings. In opening comments, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) called for a bipartisan approach to tax reform and acknowledged that any effort will require a close look at "tax expenditures." "[T]o really reform the tax code in a way that lowers the tax rate, broadens the base, and promotes the competitiveness of American companies, we will need to make some tough choices."

Following opening remarks, the committee heard testimony from:
* Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Washington, D.C.;
* Robert A. McDonald, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), Cincinnati, Ohio, testifying as Chairman, Fiscal Policy Initiative of the Business Roundtable (BRT), Washington, D.C.; Warren S. Hudak, President, Hudak & Company, LLC, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania;
* Kevin A. Hassett, Ph.D., Senior Fellow & Director of Economic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.; and
* Martin A. Sullivan, Ph.D., Contributing Editor, Tax Analysts, Alexandria, Virginia.

In response to a question from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Olson said it would be virtually impossible for Congress to decouple corporate tax reform and individual tax reform since so many companies are organized as pass-through entities with owners taking profits and losses on their individual returns. Olson also said she believes that systemic change is "doable" but will require a major education campaign for taxpayers and Members of Congress.

U.S. COMPANIES SAY OFFSHORING HAS NOT COST DOMESTIC JOBS

Quick Manufacturing News
Report concludes many firms shifting overseas because of labor shortage. Click to continue

U.S., CHINA DEALS WORTH $45 BILLION TO SUPPORT 235,000 U.S. JOBS

Quick Manufacturing News
The total includes deals worth $25 billion spread over 70 contracts and 12 states and a massive contract for Boeing. Click to continue

SERVICE CENTER STEEL, ALUMINUM SHIPMENTS DROPPED IN DECEMBER

Quick Manufacturing News
Metals service centers in the U.S. posted significant declines in shipments for December 2010, though the fall-off was less severe in Canada. However, the full-year results show uniformly solid improvements over the recession-bound results of the previous year. Click to continue

WILL NLRB SEEK SHORTER UNION ELECTION CAMPAIGNS?

Quick Manufacturing News
Management attorney warns shorter campaigns would put employers at disadvantage. Click to continue

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATES FEDEX AND UPS FOR ANTITRUST CONSPIRACY

Quick Manufacturing News
According to a recent Reuters report, FedEx and UPS, are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that they illegally tried to prevent customers from using third-party shipping consultants and negotiators to save money. Click to continue

OBAMA: CHINA'S RISE CAN HELP U.S.

Today in Manufacturing
President is looking to assure Americans that they should not fear China's economic rise, citing job-creating business deals worth billions to U.S. companies ... continue

FDA UPDATES MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM

Today in Manufacturing
Regulators said they will delay a decision on the most drastic proposals, which would give the government new power to police device makers ... continue

FEWER AMERICANS APPLIED FOR JOBLESS AID

Today in Manufacturing
The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of people seeking benefits last week fell by 37,000, adding to evidence that hiring will pick up this year ... continue

EMPLOYERS RESOLVING TO RETAIN VALUED WORKERS IN AN IMPROVING JOB MARKET

UB Daily
More employers are resolving to show employees how valuable they are in a stepped-up effort to retain top talent amid an improving job market, according to OI Partners-Careerwise, a global talent management firm. That's because employers are more often hearing "I quit" from workers, even with a high unemployment rate. - The number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs has surpassed those being laid off for 8 out of the last 10 months, including the past four straight months (February-November 2010), according to the U.
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