Jobs and the Middle Class

Minnesota's 8th District relies upon Taconite, Timber, and Tourism as its primary economic drivers. In Congress I will do all I can to ensure domestic manufacturing, aviation, and all our homegrown industries, are well recognized for their contributions to the creation of good-paying jobs and prosperity.

Across our Eighth District and across America, unemployed and underemployed middle-class families need action – good-paying jobs – not words from their government.

Democrats and Republicans must come together with common sense plans to put America back to work.

By promoting Make It In America legislation that will grow our domestic manufacturing industry and support northeast Minnesota companies from Tritec in Virginia to Polaris in Wyoming. I have also authored and introduced legislation to require that all pipelines in America use materials that are made in America - steel or iron ore that is mined, processed, or re-processed here in the U.S. The American Pipeline Jobs and Safety Act would be a boon for American manufacturing and for jobs across Minnesota's Iron Range, and would also prevent future environmental disasters from pipeline oil spills or leaks, since U.S.-made steel is more reliable and durable than foreign steel.

By extending emergency unemployment insurance for the millions of Americans who have lost these benefits since Congress allowed them to expire last December. When emergency unemployment benefits were allowed to expire at the end of December 2013, I called upon the House Republican leadership to bring H.R.3824, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, to the floor for a vote, to immediately extend these benefits while we figure out a permanent solution. More than 3 million Americans - including 200,000 veterans - have lost this crucial lifeline as they continue to look for jobs after the worst economic downturn in recent history, and I continue to call for the extension of these benefits.

By passing fair trade policies to protect American companies from unfair foreign competition.

By rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure – reinvesting hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on so-called wars of choice and nation building abroad into American roads, highways, bridges, ports, and waterways. Investing in education, human development, and infrastructure enhances business, creates jobs, and improves our lives.

By passing a minimum wage that gives working families real buying power – so they can purchase the goods and services that drive employment and boost our economy.

By ending the gender wage gap in which women still make only about 77 cents on the dollar as compared to men.

In short, we need a real, bipartisan, pro-growth jobs plan for America. And we need to invest in small business and American manufacturing to create good-paying jobs in northeastern Minnesota and across the nation.