Tips for Covering the Congressional Budget

7/29/2019 Tips for Covering the Congressional Budget

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Tips for Covering theCongressional Budget

Marilyn Geewax

NPR Senior Business Editor

As 2013 begins


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Lets Start With Obama


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What Does POTUS Want?

More Jobs

Deficit Reduction

Corporate Tax Reform Immigration Reform

More Green Energy

Transportation Infrastructure Upgrades


4/23

Job Losses The Key Problem


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Unemployment Shot Up


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American Recovery andReinvestment Act of 2009


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What POTUS Would Do On Jobs

Eliminate tax incentives for off-shoring

Cut taxes for businesses that hire workers

Increase job training efforts Boost spending on infrastructure

Provide tax incentives for clean energy


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Offshoring: Find the Local Angle

Offshoring Prevention Act would end tax

break that rewards companies for moving

factories overseas.

Is there a business in your area that is

offshoring?

Whats the impact? More jobs or fewer?

Example: http://tinyurl.com/aexkkr2


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Lower Taxes To Spur Hiring

Talk to local employers to find out whether

tax incentives would spur hiring.

Follow up when you hear about hiring.

DesMoinesRegister.com looks at whats

on the state Econ Dev board agenda and

finds some companies may hire.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/bwcd3ry


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Increase Infrastructure Spending

The 2009 stim package created a lot of

jobs. This would be a good time to follow

up what happened to projects in your

area?

What is yet to come for infrastructure?

http://tinyurl.com/bpkd9z3


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Boost Support for Clean Energy

Dont think just about factory jobs a lot of

the hiring involves installation of solar

panels, wind turbines, etc.

And look at how green jobs are being

financed.

http://tinyurl.com/dxvqkpg


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What Do House Republicans Want?

Lower Corporate Taxes

Cut Federal Spending

Expand Energy Extraction and Refining Reform GSEs (Fannie and Freddie) to

erase government guarantees of the

mortgage bonds they issue


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GOP Has Had Few Wins Lately

Win McNamee/Getty Images


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Lower Corporate Taxes

This might actually happen because lots of

people say rates should be lower and

loopholes fewer.

But loopholes may be very important to

your local businesses, such as the R&D

tax credit or rebates for expansion.

http://tinyurl.com/cxb944r


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Cut Federal Spending

Be fair when looking at govt spending. Itseasy to do a story about jobs lost whenspending is cut, but harder to find

businesses that grow when governmentgets out of the way. Look for both sides.

For example, military bases are beingturned into private developments.

http://tinyurl.com/cjpyhaf


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What Does Business Want?

Corporate Tax Reform

More Spending for Roads, Bridges, Ports

and Airports

Immigration Reform

Better Schools and Universities

Tort Reform


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3.6 Million Job Openings


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More Immigrants to Fill Jobs

Again, be sure to cover both sides.

Sometimes immigrants do fill jobs that

U.S. citizens might want, but sometimes

they fill slots that otherwise would remainempty. Its complicated.

http://tinyurl.com/bowsfd8


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What Does Labor Want?

More Spending for Transportation,

Schools and Energy Infrastructure

Trade Policy Reforms

More Federal Aid to State and Local

Governments to Prevent Layoffs

Wall Street Reforms Minimum Wage Hike


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12 Million Unemployed Now

Nearly 5 Million Are Long-Term Unemployed


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Trade Policy Reform

Unions want to protect U.S. jobs from low-

wage, foreign competition.

Again, look for local angles from both

sides the company expanding thanks to

foreign customers, and those shrinking

because of intense competition.

http://tinyurl.com/cncc6v3


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Global Trade Will Be a Top Issue


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Tips for Covering the Congressional Budget

Documents

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