HOUSE PASSES JOBS BILLS IN FIRST WEEK OF 114TH CONGRESS WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House passed three bills to provide job opportunities and security, and stability to American energy production. The three bills were H.R. 22, the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, H.R. 30, the Save American Workers Act, and H.R. 3, Keystone Pipeline XL Act. Congressman Westmoreland strongly supported each of these bills. “House Republicans have always made their priority jobs, and this week we have once again proved our commitment to getting all Americans back to work,” stated Westmoreland. “First, we passed the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, which creates incentives for businesses to hire veterans by allowing businesses to exempt employees with healthcare through the Department of Defense or Veterans Affairs from being subject to Obamacare’s employer mandate. By exempting them from the employer mandate tax, businesses can use this tool to hire those who gave so much for our nation by providing stable jobs following their service. “Obamacare has also done a tremendous amount of damage to our workforce in terms of what is defined as ‘full-time employment.’ The healthcare law defines ‘full-time’ as 30 hours a week and employers must provide health coverage to employees who meet those hours. Many businesses have reduced employees to part-time hours, or just below 30 hours, to avoid having to purchase more health benefits or else be forced to pay a fine to the federal government. The Saving American Workers Act the House passed this week changes the definition of ‘full-time employment’ back to 40 hours a week, meaning more employees can work longer hours and small businesses aren’t subject to being fined by the government. It helps middle-class Americans keep the jobs and hours they have by relieving the employers from the burden of Obamacare and its hefty fines. I support a full repeal of Obamacare, and these bills are another step forward in breaking down this job-killing healthcare law. “Finally, the House approved the construction of the Keystone Pipeline XL, which has been stalled by the administration for over six years. This is a step towards greater American energy independence and will provide both direct and indirect jobs as a result of the construction. “I am thankful to have the Senate on the people’s side in passing these bills and sending them to the president’s desk. Together, we can provide opportunities to those looking for jobs, and relief to the hard working business owners who hire them. These bills are just the start of getting the people’s priorities addressed in Washington, putting jobs and the economy first as we put our nation back on the right track.” The Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, Saving American Workers Act of 2015, and Keystone XL Approval will now head to the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will schedule them for a vote. Congressman Westmoreland looks forward to their quick passage and encourages President Obama to put politics aside and sign these bills into law.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 18:16:23 +0000