AMT wants you to get involved in our advocacy efforts in 2012. It will be an important year in Washington, and the more members engaged in the policy-making process, the more successful we will be in communicating our industry's message to Congress and the Administration.
10 May 2013eNews from Washington - May 10, 2013The terrorist attack in Benghazi last year dominated this week, as State Department personnel gave emotional testimony before the House Oversight committee in a politically charged hearing. In other news, senators continued to weigh immigration reform; former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford won a seat in Congress; and Republicans may be readying to filibuster Labor Secretary nominee Thomas Perez. (more) |
10 May 2013Obama Administration seeks applicants for first phase of ‘Investing in Manufacturing Communities’ PartnershipThe Obama Administration is accepting applications for the first phase of the “Investing in Manufacturing Communities” Partnership, a new initiative intended to boost manufacturing and job creation. In the first phase, 25 grants of up to $200,000 each will be awarded to help regions develop long-term economic development strategies. These “Implementation Strategies” will encourage collaboration at the local level to identify the region’s comparative advantages and assets, and plan investments to expand the area’s appeal to manufacturers. AMT members are encouraged to explore this opportunity with regional partners and community organizations. (more) |
09 May 2013Obama Administration Launches Competition for Three New Manufacturing Innovation InstitutesMay 9 - The Obama Administration has announced the competitions to create three new manufacturing innovation institutes with a Federal commitment of $200 million across five Federal agencies – Defense, Energy, Commerce, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. The Department of Defense will lead two of the new Institutes, focused on “Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation” and “Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing,” and the Department of Energy will be leading one new institute on “Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing.” (more) |
07 May 2013NLRB on Notice: Court Tears Down Poster RuleMay 7 - Today, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (of which AMT is a long-standing member) lauded the U.S. District Court of Appeals for Washington, DC, which invalidated a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rule requiring employers to install workplace posters that provide information about union organizing, bargaining and protests. (more) |
03 May 2013eNews from Washington - May 3, 2013As the investigation and arrests continued in the Boston Marathon bombings, Congress is beginning its own look at the U.S. response. In other news, President Obama wants more information before he decides how to enforce the "red line" on chemical weapons in Syria; some lawmakers say the Senate's immigration bill won't fly in the House; and Democratic Rep. Ed Markey will face Republican Gabriel Gomez for the Senate seat in Massachusetts. (more) |
26 April 2013eNews from Washington - April 26, 2013This week, the White House holds a science fair; Congress takes on immigration reform; OMB Director is confirmed, while vote on Labor is delayed; and the stalemate continues on the budget. Lastly, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) announces his retirement. (more) |
19 April 2013eNews from Washington - April 19, 2013It was a tense week in Washington and around the country, after deadly bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon and ricin letters headed for the White House and Congress were intercepted. In other news, the Senate voted down a compromise on gun control and a bipartisan group of senators unveiled an immigration bill that at its heart, provides a pathway to legal status and citizenship for undocumented immigrants.(more) |
12 April 2013eNews from Washington - April 12, 2013President Obama introduced HIS budget this week that seeks to reform entitlement programs and serve as a gesture of compromise, but Republicans aren't buying it. In other news, a deal reached on gun control; the president's nominees are faring well in their confirmation efforts; and North Korea continued its threats. (more) |
05 April 2013eNews from Washington - April 5, 2013President Obama continued his push for gun control legislation this week, though lawmakers in states like Connecticut and Colorado have moved faster and farther than Congress. In other news, the U.S. has responded to North Korea's threats of war; Senators in both parties have continued to pledge support for same-sex marriage; and both chambers of Congress are moving forward on immigration reform proposals. (more) |
29 March 2013eNews from Washington - March 29, 2013Congress was in recess this week. That means lawmakers are getting an earful back home on issues of concern to them, including the effect of the sequester cuts as the impact begins to be felt across the country. (more) |
22 March 2013eNews from Washington - March 22, 2013Congress passed a bill that will keep the government running through the rest of this fiscal year, averting a potential shut down. The House approved a FY14 budget that seeks to balance the budget over the next 10 years by cutting spending by $4.6 trillion and reforming Medicare. The Skills Act passed the House and is under consideration in the Senate, where it has almost no chance of passing.(more) |
15 March 2013eNews from Washington - March 15, 2013The 2014 budget is the big story this week. Drastically different blueprints were introduced in the House and Senate. One balances the budget in 10 years. The other spends as much as it raises. The President admitted the gulf between the two may be too wide to reach a "grand bargain." Meanwhile, there is still the issue of 2013. The federal government runs out of money by the end of the month if Congress doesn't act quickly to pass another continuing resolution. (more) |
01 March 2013e-News from Washington - March 1, 2013Sequestration takes effect today. Jacob Lew is overwhelmingly confirmed as Treasury Secretary while Chuck Hagel is confirmed as Secretary of Defense with the smallest support margin since 1947. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) announces a new Congressional Academic Competition for STEM Education. (more) |
22 February 2013e-News from Washington - February 22, 2013President Obama urges Congress to stop the sequester before the looming March 1 deadline. Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles offer a new deficit reduction plan that calls for deeper cuts in spending over taxes (by a 3:1 ration) than their first proposal. A draft immigration bill is leaked from the Administration. John Kerry leaves for Europe and the Middle East on his first overseas trip as Secretary of State. (more) |
15 February 2013e-News from Washington - Feb, 15, 2013President Obama highlights manufacturing in an emotional State of the Union address. Check out the White House fact sheet: The President’s Plan to Make America a Magnet for Jobs by Investing in Manufacturing. Sequester is looking more and more likely despite some desperate pleas to avoid it. Senate confirmation of Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary hits a snag, while Jacob Lew is expected to be easily confirmed after a sufficiently tough grilling. (more) |
08 February 2013e-News from Washington - Feb, 8, 2013President Obama will deliver the State of the Union next Tuesday. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) will deliver the bilingual GOP response. Chuck Hagel's confirmation hits a snag, as John Brennan is grilled on drones. Plus, Obama urges Congress to pass a short-term package of spending cuts to avert the “sequester.” Gun control and immigration reform are still on the front burner. (more) |
01 February 2013e-News from Washington - Feb 1, 2013John Kerry is easily confirmed as Secretary of State, while Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel faces a tougher road. A bipartisan immigration reform framework is presented in the Senate and endorsed by the President. The Senate takes up the debt ceiling extension. And a congressional hearing on gun violence featuring former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords dominates the national conversation. (more) |
31 January 2013Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce STEM Visa BillSenators Hatch (R-UT), Klobuchar (D-MN), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Coons (D-DE) have introduced the Immigration Innovation (I2) Act of 2013. The bill would bring long-overdue reforms to the nation’s immigration laws for highly-skilled workers. It focuses on four areas for reform: employment-based nonimmigrant visas (H-1B visas); student visas; immigrant visas and green cards; and STEM education and worker retraining. Please join AMT in thanking the Senators for their leadership in helping to build the Smartforce. (more) |
25 January 2013e-News from Washington - Jan 25, 2013The President outlined his agenda during his inaugural address, and his priorities shifted noticeably to the left. Meanwhile, the House approved an extension of the debt ceiling buying time to deal with sequester and funding the government beyond March. Plus cabinet confirmation hearings, Benghazi testimony and a possible 2016 run by Joe Biden inside this week's e-News. (more) |
11 January 2013eNews from Washington -Jan 11, 2013The Cabinet for the second Obama Administration is shaping up with nominations this week, including White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew to replace Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska to succeed outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. (more) |
04 January 2013eNews from Washington -Jan 4, 2013The President signed the fiscal cliff deal this week with only moments to spare before we fell into the abyss, but neither side is particularly thrilled with the result. It could have been worse, and it could have been a lot better. In the end, several business tax incentives were temporarily extended and the estate tax was set permanently at 40%. Where Congress will go from here is anybody's guess, but work begins immediately as the 113th Congress has been sworn in. (more) |
03 January 2013Bonus Depreciation Extended/Sec. 179 Increased in Fiscal Cliff DealPresident Obama signed “The American Tax Relief Act of 2012” into law. The new law includes an extension of 50% bonus depreciation through 2013 and increases Sec. 179 expensing limits for 2012 and 2013. This is a major victory for manufacturers. One-page fact sheet on the depreciation provisions. (more) |
14 December 2012eNews from Washington - Dec 14, 2012President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner remained far apart in negotiations to avert the pending fiscal cliff. In addition, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she does not expect to run for president in 2016; North Korea launched a long-range rocket, despite warnings from the West; and Michigan passed a right-to-work law with far-reaching implications. (more) |
27 November 2012AMT Signs Small Business Letter Urging Comprehensive Tax ReformAMT joined 40 organizations representing small businesses on a letter to Congressional leaders urging comprehensive tax reform that lowers rates for all businesses, including those organized as pass-through entities. Solely reforming the corporate tax code does not take into account the millions of businesses that are sole propietorships, limited partnerships and Subchapter S-corporations, such as many AMT members, that will see their taxes increase if current top marginal rates on individuals are allowed to expire. (more) |
09 November 2012eNews from Washington - Nov 9, 2012Election results dominate the news this week. What will the new Cabinet look like? Plus what happens next in Congress. A full agenda for the lame duck session and beyond. (more) |