SENATE DELAYS VOTES ON EPA MEASURES
Reuters The Senate voting was postponed Wednesday on proposals that would have trimmed back -- or halted -- the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now wants voting on Thursday or Friday on the various proposals that some senators sought to attach to a small business bill. According to Reuters, there could be as many as four votes on proposals that would affect the EPA, and 60 votes will be needed to pass any of them. Today in Manufacturing The United States is out of step with the rest of the world's richest industrialized nations: Its economy is growing faster but creating far fewer jobs ... continue
Today in Manufacturing Labor Department said the number of people seeking benefits dipped by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000, and it's the second decline in three weeks ... continue
Quick Manufacturing News Calls for more natural gas, biofuels production and 'responsible' offshore development. Click to continue
Quick Manufacturing News According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics more than two million Americans are impacted by workplace violence annually. There are behavior indicators often exhibited in the workplace that have been linked to workplace violence situations. Click to continue
Quick Manufacturing News Shell Offshore is approved for a new deepwater exploration plan in its Auger field 30 miles offshore of Louisiana. Click to continue
Today in Manufacturing World Trade Organization has ruled that Boeing Co. received at least $5.3 billion in illegal U.S. subsidies to develop and build new planes ... continue
Today in Manufacturing Orders fell as the government cut demand for military planes and communications equipment, and businesses bought fewer computers, turbines and power generators ... continue
Today in Manufacturing China said it will increase this year's production quota for rare earths but gave no sign it might reverse plans to cut exports of the exotic metals ... continue
NAM STEPS UP PRESSURE FOR 1099 REPEAL
NAM Capital Briefing On March 29, the NAM sent the Senate its third key vote letter this year in support of an amendment offered by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) to S. 493, the Small Business Innovation Research bill. This amendment is identical to H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act that passed the House earlier this month. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) recently voiced support for the revenue offset in H.R. 4, which would repeal the burdensome 1099 reporting requirements included in last year's new health care law and scheduled to go into effect in 2012. At press time, Senate negotiations to reach agreement on amendments continued, with votes expected next week. If the Johanns amendment were to pass as-is, which is uncertain, there are reports that the Senate would act quickly to advance the amendment as legislation that the President would likely sign into law. The NAM continues to press for quick enactment of 1099 repeal, citing the punitive cost and time burden associated with delayed action—especially for small manufacturers. EEOC FINALIZES ADA REGULATIONS
NAM Capital Briefing The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has finalized long-pending regulations to implement the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which strikes a fair balance for people with disabilities and employers by updating important law that prevents illegal discrimination against people with disabilities. The NAM worked with other leaders in the employer community, along with advocates from disability groups, to develop the ADA Amendments Act. The final rule issued last week takes into account many of the concerns expressed in the NAM's regulatory comment response and better reflects the initial agreements reached by the NAM and the disability community. While the regulations still contain several concerning elements, the final rule is much improved from the proposed regulations originally introduced. For more information, click here. Details: Joe Trauger, (202) 637-3127. SECTORS ACT INTRODUCED
NAM Capital Briefing Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Reps. Todd Platts (R-PA) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA) introduced the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act in the Senate this week. The bill encourages grants for industry and sector partnerships to organize stakeholders connected to an industry and develop plans for growing that industry by focusing on building new workforce pipelines where skilled worker shortages exist. The bill also supports industry recognized, nationally portable certifications, such as the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification system. NAM WEIGHS IN WITH IRS ON MEDICAL DEVICE TAX
NAM Capital Briefing The NAM sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Monday, March 28, regarding forthcoming regulations to implement the new excise tax on medical devices included in the health care reform law. While the NAM feels strongly that the new tax will stifle research, innovation and job growth, the NAM also recognizes the challenges the IRS faces in drafting guidance to implement this law. In the letter, the NAM urges the IRS to ensure medical devices that are of a type commonly bought by retail consumers for their individual use are exempt from the 2.3 percent medical device tax. NAM RESPONDS TO OSHA NOISE PROPOSAL
NAM Capital Briefing While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) proposal to fundamentally overhaul employer requirements to abate noise in workplaces has been withdrawn for now, the NAM continues to monitor the issue. Last week, the NAM filed comments with OSHA in response to the burdensome and costly proposed noise standards. The NAM estimates that implementation of the proposed standard would directly impose billions of dollars in additional compliance costs on the manufacturing sector and would be an excessive burden on small and medium-sized manufacturers. An NAM survey found that the proposal would cost manufacturers between $3,000 and about $10,000 per employee per year. Although the NAM has made considerable progress on this issue to date, the NAM remains vigilant of future efforts to bring back such a costly regulatory initiative. The comments are available here.
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