Sunday, September 30, 2012

OBAMA’S FAILURE TO ADDRESS CHINESE CURRENCY MANIPULATION HAS COST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN JOBS

Obama’s Failure To Confront China Cost The United States 450,000 Jobs From 2008 To 2010. “American jobs have been shifting to low-wage countries for years, and the trend has continued during Obama’s presidency. From 2008 to 2010, U.S. trade with China alone cost about 450,000 American jobs because of the growth of Chinese exports, said Robert E. Scott, a pro-labor advocate at the liberal Economic Policy Institute. That figure was less than in previous years, but the decrease was probably tied to the U.S. economic slowdown, which crimped demand for imports. ‘I think he has walked away from the campaign commitments,’ said Scott, the institute’s director of trade and manufacturing policy research. ‘He has done far too little to improve U.S. trade.’” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)
“Obama’s Critics, Primarily On The Political Left, Say He Has Repeatedly Failed In Other Ways To Protect American Jobs From Being Moved Overseas” Including Confronting China. “While White House officials say they have been waiting on Congress to act, Obama’s critics, primarily on the political left, say he has repeatedly failed in other ways to protect American jobs from being moved overseas. They point to a range of actions they say he should have taken: confronting China, reining in unfettered trade and reworking a U.S. visa program that critics say ends up sending high-tech jobs abroad.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)
  • Robert Scott Of The Economic Policy Institute: “I Think He Walked Away From The Campaign Commitments.” “‘I think he has walked away from the campaign commitments,’ said Scott, the institute’s director of trade and manufacturing policy research. ‘He has done far too little to improve U.S. trade.’ According to a study by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, large American companies in 2010 barely added any workers in the United States, increasing their numbers by 0.1 percent, while they expanded their foreign workforce by 1.5 percent.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)
  • Scott Paul, Head Of The Alliance For American Manufacturing, Is “Perplexed” By Obama’s Refusal To Label China A Currency Manipulator. “But Obama’s critics say the most important step the president could take – but hasn’t – is to declare China a ‘currency manipulator,’ which could ultimately allow the U.S. government to erect tariffs to protect American industries. ‘I’m perplexed by this decision because it runs counter to the goal of re-shoring jobs from China,’ Scott Paul, head of the labor-backed Alliance for American Manufacturing, said in a May statement.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)

BILLIONS WERE SHOWERED ON GREEN ENERGY STIMULUS PROGRAMS THAT RELIED ON FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS IN LOW-WAGE COUNTRIES

A Department Of Energy Study Found “That 60 Percent Of The 40 Largest Wind Farms Then Financed By The Stimulus Relied On Foreign Manufacturers For Their Central Components, Including Turbines.” “According to some critics, a galling example of the Obama administration fostering overseas work came as part the 2009 stimulus program. They point to millions of dollars meant to develop a domestic clean-energy industry that instead landed in the hands of foreign businesses. An April 2010 study by the Energy Department found that 60 percent of the 40 largest wind farms then financed by the stimulus relied on foreign manufacturers for their central components, including turbines.” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)
The Liberal Apollo Alliance Found That 41 Percent Of The Funds Awarded Through The Stimulus’ 48c Advanced Manufacturing Program Went To Foreign Based Companies Which Were Awarded On Average $20 Million Versus $11 Million For U.S. Companies. “The results are somewhat less encouraging when we look at the distribution in dollar terms. U.S.-based recipients account for only 59 percent of the total, reflecting the fact that the projects proposed by foreign-based companies tend to be larger in size and thus receive larger tax credits, which are calculated as a percentage of the intended investment. The average project involving a U.S.-based parent company is $11 million; for those with a foreign parent, the average is $20 million.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)
“In Total, The U.S. Has Awarded $458 Million In Advanced Energy Tax Credits To 23 Companies That Are Also Investing Money And Creating Jobs In Low-Wage Countries.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,”The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)
  • 17 Of The 25 Foreign Companies That Received Advanced Energy Tax Credits Had Already Or Had Plans To Setup Operations Overseas In Low-Wage Countries. “Of the 25 foreign-based companies involved in 48C projects, we found that 17 have either already set up wind or solar production operations in low-wage countries or have plans to do so in the near future. These include 13 companies with plants in China: Alstom, BP, Brevini Power Transmission, Führlander, Gamesa, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Moventas, Nordex, Siemens, Suntech Power, Vestas, Winergy, and Yingli Green Energy (Suntech and Yingli are based in China). There are three with plants in India (BP, Gamesa and Winergy); two in Mexico (Ingeteam and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the latter a joint venture with TPI Composites); two in the Czech Republic (Flabeg and Schott); one in Brazil (Alstom); and one in Singapore (Renewable Energy Corporation).” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)
  • Those 17 Companies Accounted For $406 Million Out Of The $1.6 Billion Awarded Through The Program. “Altogether, the 17 foreign-based corporations with operations in low-wage countries account for $406 million of the $1.6 billion in 48C tax credit dollars authorized for wind and solar production.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)
  • Six U.S. Based Companies That Received Awards Have Also Expanded Operations To Low Wage Countries Such As China, Mexico, Philippines And Malaysia. “Among the 65 U.S.-based 48C recipients, six companies, accounting for $52 million in 48C credits, have made significant new expansions of clean energy manufacturing operations in low-wage countries: Advanced Energy Industries has a plant in China. Energy Conversion Devices (parent of United Solar Ovonic) has a plant in Mexico and a joint venture in China. First Solar has a plant in Malaysia. SunPower has plants in the Philippines and Malaysia and uses a Chinese subcontractor. Timken has a joint venture in China. TPI Composites has a plant in China and a joint venture in Mexico.” (“Winning the Race: How America Can Lead the Global Clean Energy Economy,” The Apollo Alliance and Good Jobs First, 3/4/10)
Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) And Jon Tester (D-MT) Urged President Obama To Suspend A Stimulus Program Sending Money Overseas To Foreign Manufacturers. “In the wake of a new report revealing that a clean-energy grant program in the stimulus has paid out more than $1 billion to foreign manufacturers, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jon Tester (D-MT) urged the Obama administration Wednesday to suspend the program indefinitely until the law can be fixed so that funds only flow to projects that will create jobs in the United States.” (Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)
  • Research From The Investigative Reporting Workshop Showed That 79 Percent Of The First $2 Billion Went To Foreign Manufacturers. “Administration officials have said they do not have the authority to prevent that payment. If the aid goes through, it would be just the latest example of a larger trend, according to an independent report conducted last month. The Investigating Reporting Workshop found that 79 percent of the $2 billion in grants doled out by the clean-energy program in the stimulus so far went to foreign companies.” (Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “It is a no-brainer that stimulus funds should only go to projects that create jobs in the United States rather than overseas …”(Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) : “It’s simple: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act should reinvest in America and help America and American workers recover …”(Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)
Sen. Sherrod Brown(D-OH): “We cannot sit idly by while China races to the forefront of clean energy production at the expense of U.S. manufacturing, U.S. jobs, and U.S. energy independence. And we certainly can’t shoot ourselves in the foot by helping to finance Chinese clean energy production.” (Press Release, “Schumer, Casey, Brown & Tester Urge Obama Administration To Suspend Stimulus Program Funneling Billions Overseas,” Office Of Sen. Charles Schumer, 3/3/10)

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