Economy & Jobs

Fighting to strengthen the American jobs with a pro-growth economic agenda, encouraging investment and job creation here in America and combating the forces driving up the costs of health care, energy, food, and more.
Tackling our most pressing economic challenges and working to revitalize Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry.

There is no doubt that those I serve in the 1st Congressional District are struggling. With sharp price increases for nearly everything – from groceries to gas – Wisconsinites have seen their paychecks being stretched to the limit. The rise in inflation has hit those living on fixed incomes particularly hard. Along with the announced layoffs at Midwest Airlines, GM’s decision to close its Janesville plant has been personally devastating. The stretched paychecks from higher prices and the elimination of paychecks from mass layoffs are the top concerns of those I serve.

I believe that Congress should be focused on a pro-growth economic agenda. I have sought to provide greater incentives for investment and job creation here in America and tackle the forces driving up the cost of health care, energy, food, and more. In addition to the fundamental flaws of our current economic policies, Congress continues to ignore the storms on the horizon with the explosion of entitlement spending.

I have proposed legislation to tackle our most pressing challenges – health care reform, entitlement reform, tax simplification, gas price relief, taming inflation, and more – and I will continue to advocate for sensible economic policies that will provide much needed relief for Wisconsin families.

As I visit manufacturing plants in Southeast Wisconsin and talk with the hard-working men and women that they employ, it is clear that our slumping economy has had serious effects on manufacturing jobs. There are many individuals in the 1st District, particularly those in the manufacturing sector, who are without work or fear that their job may be in danger. Rising energy costs have contributed to the closing of the General Motors’ Assembly Plant in my hometown of Janesville, which will affect the jobs of approximately 3,000 workers in the area. Helping my neighbors find and secure their jobs is one of my highest priorities in Congress. Manufacturing jobs are the bedrock of the economy in Southeastern Wisconsin, and they are also the bedrock of our nation’s economy. If we are to continue to enjoy high living standards and maintain a strong and independent national defense, we must have a vibrant manufacturing sector.

I have fought to against policies that have pushed jobs overseas. I have worked to cut the cost of doing business in the United States – lower health care costs, lower tax rates on American manufacturers, cut down on regulatory and lawsuit costs, and make energy costs more affordable and more reliable. My Roadmap legislation would level the playing field for American-made goods and services in the international marketplace. I will also continue to fight to ensure China is playing by the rules and not stealing American jobs.