JUNE 2004

Kerry’s Manufacturing Plan

Presidential nominee John Kerry has a three-part plan to revitalize manufacturing and invest in the jobs of the future. First, as President he would push for steps to immediately jumpstart job creation. Second, he will push to make America's businesses more competitive by bringing down the cost of healthcare and energy, ending rewards for companies that ship jobs overseas, and cutting corporate tax rates.

Finally, Kerry believes that America has a strong future in manufacturing using new processes and technologies to create high-wage jobs and supports government efforts to encourage innovation and investment by America's companies and education and training for America's workers.

Kerry's plan to jump start manufacturing includes a New Jobs Tax Credit. Kerry's plan would include the government paying the employer share of the payroll taxes for any net new jobs created by manufacturers, other businesses affected by outsourcing, and small businesses in 2005 and 2006.

Kerry has proposed a six-point plan to enforce our trade agreement and trade laws. This plan includes:

1. Immediate reinstatement of the "Super 301" process to force the Bush Administration to report and act on foreign trade barriers.
2. A 120-day review of all existing trade agreements.
3. Immediate investigation into China's worker rights abuses, and stepped up funding for worker's rights and anti-abusive child labor efforts.
4. Increased resources for trade enforcement and action at the WTO.
5. Structural reforms to enhance small business and high-tech trade enforcement capacity.
6. More forceful efforts to stop illegal currency manipulation by China and other countries.

He also would include enforceable labor and environmental standards in new trade agreements, propose "Buy American" guidelines for defense and homeland security and cut corporate taxes for 99% of taxpaying corporations.

Finally, his plan includes tax credits to help small businesses pay for health insurance and a swap where the government would assume the costs of catastrophic healthcare (above $50,000) in exchange for companies extending  high-quality health coverage to their employees.

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