The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act, H.R. 4480, with bipartisan support by a vote of 248 to 163 on June 21, 2012. This important energy and jobs package, sponsored by Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO), includes key measures advanced by the Energy and Commerce Committee to increase American energy supplies and cut through regulatory red tape that could drive up gasoline prices.
The United States has been the global leader in the device and biopharmaceutical industries for decades. U.S. medical device-related employment totals over 2 million jobs and the biopharmaceutical industry is responsible for over 4 million U.S. jobs.
H.R. 5865, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act, introduced by Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), is a bipartisan plan for improving the conditions for manufacturing in the United States.
The communications and technology sector is a major economic driver, creating jobs and fostering innovation at a time when other sectors are still lagging. Federal regulation of these industries should foster an environment of confidence and certainty to encourage the continued creation of high-paying jobs and new technologies.
The Keystone XL pipeline has become a symbol of the president’s failed energy policies. By continuing to delay this project, the president is putting thousands of American jobs at risk and jeopardizing our access to Canada’s valuable oil supply. If the U.S. doesn’t move quickly to get Keystone XL built, we risk losing access to this important North American energy resource to other energy-hungry nations like China.
In the effort to avert across-the-board cuts to the nation’s armed forces and key priorities, the House Energy and Commerce Committee had been directed to propose legislation to save $3.75 billion; $28.43 billion; and $98.796 billion over a one, five, and ten-year period, respectively. As part of the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012, H.R.