Steve Chabot on Corporations Republican Representative (OH-1)

Voted YES on workforce training by state block grants & industry partners.

Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act or SKILLS Act:
• Reauthorizes appropriations workforce investment systems for job training and employment services.
• Requires a plan describe:
  1. strategies and services to more fully engage employers and meet their needs, as well as those to assist at-risk youth and out-of-school youth in acquiring education, skills, credentials, and employment experience;
  2. how the state board will convene industry or sector partnerships that lead to collaborative planning;
  3. how the state will use technology to facilitate access to services in remote areas;
  4. state actions to foster partnerships with non-profit organizations that provide employment-related services; and
  5. the methodology for determining one-stop partner program contributions for the cost of the infrastructure of one-stop centers.
• Repeals title VI (Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities)

National League of Cities op-ed, "H.R. 803 fails because it would:"
1. Undermine the local delivery system that has been the cornerstone of job training programs
2. Establish a program that is based on political boundaries (states) rather than on economic regions and local labor markets, or the naturally evolving areas in which workers find paying work
3. Eliminate a strong role for local elected officials but require that they continue to be fiscally liable for funds spent in their local areas
4. Change what was once a program targeted to those most in need--economically disadvantaged adults and youth and special population groups like veterans, migrant farm workers, and low income seniors--into a block grant to governors
5. Contribute to the emerging division between those American's who have the requisite skills to find employment and those who do not.

Voted YES on allowing stockholder voting on executive compensation.

Proponents support voting YES because:

We should not deprive the public, the stockholders, from being able to do anything meaningful once they find out about scandalous levels of executive compensation or board compensation. Everyone talks about the corporate board as the remedy. But the board is often a part of the problem, being paid huge amounts of money for showing up once or twice a year at meetings.

Give the stockholders a meaningful remedy. Once you get the mandatory disclosure put in place by previous legislation, we are saying the stockholders should be allowed to have a referendum on that and not have a runaround by the board.

Opponents support voting NO because:

This vote is based on mischaracterization--it is an unnecessary amendment. The opportunity for these kinds of votes already exists within the structure of corporate governance right now. A good company from Georgia, AFLAC, went ahead and already has these nonbinding shareholder votes. But there is a difference between having individuals in the private sector, shareholders and individuals outside of the mandating of government to have it occur and have government come in with its heavy hand and say, this is exactly what you need to do because we know best. Our constituents know better how to act and how to relate to corporations than Washington.

Voted YES on replacing illegal export tax breaks with $140B in new breaks.

Voted YES on Bankruptcy Overhaul requiring partial debt repayment.

Rated 90% by the US COC, indicating a pro-business voting record.

Whether you own a business, represent one, lead a corporate office, or manage an association, the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of AmericaSM provides you with a voice of experience and influence in Washington, D.C., and around the globe.

Our members include businesses of all sizes and sectors—from large Fortune 500 companies to home-based, one-person operations. In fact, 96% of our membership encompasses businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

Mission Statement:

"To advance human progress through an economic, political and social system based on individual freedom, incentive, initiative, opportunity, and responsibility."

Member of House Small Business Committee.

The House Committee on Small Business has oversight and legislative jurisdiction over the Small Business Administration and its programs, as well provides assistance to and protection of small business, including financial aid and the participation of small business enterprises in federal procurement and government contracts. The committee also oversees matters related to the matters Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act. The jurisdiction extends to other programs and initiatives addressing small business outside of the confines of these two specific acts.

Repeal ObamaCare reporting requirements for small business.

A BILL To repeal the expansion of information reporting requirements for payments of $600 or more to corporations. Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the amendments made thereby, are hereby repealed; and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be applied as if such section, and amendments, had never been enacted. [This is the first attempt at dismantling ObamaCare by pieces, as opposed to H.R. 2 which dismantles ObamaCare in whole. The proposed section of the ObamaCare law to be repealed appears below. --OnTheIssues editor].

SEC. 9006. EXPANSION OF INFORMATION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
• The Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
• APPLICATION TO CORPORATIONS. The term 'person' includes any corporation that is not an organization tax-exempt.
• REGULATIONS. The Secretary may prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including rules to prevent duplicative reporting of transactions.
• EFFECTIVE DATE. The amendments made by this section shall apply to payments made after December 31, 2011.

Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business.

Congressional Summary:

• Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to limit loans outstanding to either 1.75 times the net worth, or 12.25% of the total assets of the credit union.
• Authorizes insured credit unions to make business loans up to 27.5 % of the total assets of the credit union, if the credit union meets specified safety and soundness criteria.
• Directs the development of a tiered approval process, including lending standards, under which an insured credit union gradually increases the amount of member business lending in a manner that is consistent with safe and sound operations.

Supporter's Comments: (by CUNA, a pro-credit union organization)
America's small businesses are the engine of growth of our nation's economy. The effects of the financial crisis of the past few years have spread to all types of lending, resulting in a reduction in the availability of business credit. At a time when banks are withdrawing credit from America's small businesses, credit unions have actually been expanding credit to small businesses, but with more credit unions approaching the cap, this growth is threatened. Congress should enact legislation which increases the credit union member business lending cap from 12.25% of assets to 27.5% for well-capitalized credit unions

Opponent's Comments: (by the Independent Community Banks of America, Nov. 15, 2012)
The tax-subsidized credit union industry is pressing for doubling the statutory cap Congress placed on member business loans. Shifting assets from tax-paying banks to tax-exempt credit unions would reduce tax revenue to the government; the CBO estimates the revenue impact at $354 million over 10 years. We believe that banks are currently meeting the needs of credit-worthy businesses, as substantiated by numerous business surveys.

Rated 0% by UFCW, indicating a pro-management voting record.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is North America's Neighborhood Union--1.3 million members with UFCW locals in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Our members work in supermarkets, drug stores, retail stores, meatpacking and meat processing plants, food processing plants, and manufacturing workers who make everything from fertilizer to shoes. We number over 60,000 strong with 25,000 workers in chemical production and 20,000 who work in garment and textile industries.

The UFCW House scorecard is based on these key votes:
1. (+) Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
2. (+) H. Am. 877 Bishop Am. to HR 3094, penalties for lawsuits against unionization
3. (+) H. Am. 880 Jackson-Lee Am. to HR 3094, preventing delays in union votes
4. (-) Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, freezing public salaries
5. (-) Regulation from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, for less corporate regulation
6. (-) Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act
7. (-) Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, letting CEOs fire union organizers

Regulatory relief for smaller banks stimulates growth.

Congressional Summary:

Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act
• TITLE I--IMPROVING CONSUMER ACCESS TO MORTGAGE CREDIT: [for small banks,] requirements are waived if a loan is originated by and retained by the institution
• TITLE II--REGULATORY RELIEF AND PROTECTING CONSUMER ACCESS TO CREDIT: [deregulate] reciprocal deposits [if they] do not exceed 20% of its total liabilities.
• TITLE III--PROTECTIONS FOR VETERANS, CONSUMERS, AND HOMEOWNERS
• TITLE IV--TAILORING REGULATIONS FOR CERTAIN BANK HOLDING COMPANIES
• TITLE V--ENCOURAGING CAPITAL FORMATION
• TITLE VI--PROTECTIONS FOR STUDENT BORROWERS

Supporting press release from Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN-6): This legislation will foster economic growth by providing relief to Main Street, tailor regulations for better efficacy, and most importantly it will empower individual Americans and give them more opportunity.

Opposing statement on ProPublica.org from Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5): The bill includes many provisions I support: minority-owned banks and credit unions in underserved communities have legitimate regulatory burden concerns. Unfortunately, exempting mortgage disclosures enacted to detect discriminatory practices will only assist the Trump Administration in its overall effort to curtail important civil rights regulations. I simply cannot vote for any proposal that would help this Administration chip away at laws that I and my colleagues worked so hard to enact and preserve.

Legislative outcome: Passed House 258-159-10 on May 22, 2018(Roll call 216); Passed Senate 67-31-2 on March 14, 2018(Roll call 54); Signed by President Trump. May 24, 2018

Let businesses help define regulatory rules.

Our plan includes ideas to:
• Back startups and small businesses by giving them a real say in the rules that affect their work, and cutting down on roadblocks to capital formation and growth.
• Consider putting regulators on a budget by allocating to each agency a limit on the amount of regulatory costs that it can impose for each fiscal year.
• Publish the cost--and cut the cost--of regulations by requiring agencies to adopt the least costly method of implementing new rules, provide a full accounting of the costs--including the costs of jobs lost--of new rules, and detail the cumulative impact of new rules instead of looking at each one in isolation.
• Stop blank checks by implementing sunset dates for regulatory programs, and empowering federal judges to carefully scrutinize agencies' decisions.
• Put the feds on the clock by establishing a shot-clock approach, meaning failure to act within a reasonable period of time would lead to automatic approval. The way things work now, regulators can hold up jobs and projects indefinitely, with little to no explanation.
• Open up government data so that all evidence used in support of regulation is based on sound science and available for proper scrutiny.
• Subject regulations to spring cleaning by establishing an independent commission that goes back and looks at past regulations to see what has become outdated, and identifies rules that can be weeded out responsibly.
• Pare back the paperwork police by easing penalties for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses.
• Regulate only when needed by preventing the federal government from regulating in areas where states are already fulfilling that duty successfully. This will end regulators' habit of creating regulations in search of problems.
• Stop bad regulations in their tracks by requiring Congress to approve all rules that would cost the economy more than $100 million a year.

Reduce corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% to create jobs.

Summary by GovTrack.US: (Nov 16, 2017)

For Corporations:
• Reduce the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%.
• Overseas earnings would be taxed at 15.5% as opposed to the current 35%. This may seem like an enormous reduction, but current law only taxes overseas earnings if they are returned to the US; the 15.5% rate would apply regardless.

For Individuals:
• Lower the rate for the highest earners from 39.6% to 37%.
• Nearly double the standard deductions for individuals but repeal personal exemptions.
• The Affordable Care Act's individual mandate would be repealed.

Case for voting NO by Sierra Club (11/16/17): Republicans have passed a deeply regressive tax plan that will result in painful cuts to core domestic programs, to give billionaires and corporate polluters tax cuts while making American families pay the price. Among the worst provisions: