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12 August 2010The Manufacturing Mandate - A National Manufacturing Strategy to Help Rebuild and Strengthen the U.S. Manufacturing Sector |
24 March 20102010 Section 179 "Small Business" Expensing Fact Sheet |
22 December 2009Obama Administration Releases Manufacturing FrameworkThe Obama Administration released "A Framework for Revitalizing American Manufacturing." The report attempts to analyze the cost drivers in each step of the manufacturing process and suggests a framework for designing appropriate government support. (more) |
08 December 2009President Proposes Extension of Important Tax IncentivesIn a major victory for AMT members, President Obama today outlined his proposals to accelerate job growth, which includes a one-year extension of the 50% bonus depreciation and enhanced Sec. 179 "small business" expensing provisions - two top priorities for AMT. The President's proposal also includes additional tax cuts to support business investment, steps to unfreeze credit to small business, and incentives for investing in renewable manufacturing facilities in the U.S. (more) |
03 December 2009AMT Joins Organizations in Calling for Depreciation Incentives ExtensionDecember 3, 2009 - A broad coalition of 32 national organizations representing the construction, manufacturing, aviation, professional services, and distribution sectors have called on Congress and President Obama to extend business purchasing tax incentives included in recent economic stimulus legislation. AMT together with the Associated Equipment Distributors took the lead in organizing this effort. (more) |
19 November 2009Senate Leadership Introduces Long-Awaited Health Care BillNovember 19, 2009 - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unveiled his 2,000+ page health care reform bill last night. "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" would cost $849 billion over 10 years and expand coverage to 31 million currently uninsured Americans. The Senate Leadership hopes to begin debate on the bill next week. The Senate bill is largely similar to the House-passed bill regarding coverage. However, a significant difference between the two bills is the in the way each raises revenue to pay for the sweeping overhaul. The Senate bill relies on a tax on “Cadillac” insurance plans and a .5% increase in the Medicare payroll tax for individuals making more that $250,000 annually to pay for its proposal, while the House bill would levy a 5.4% surtax on high income individuals (a provision which hits many small businesses as well and adamantly opposed by AMT).The New York Times presents an excellent side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate bill. (more) |
08 November 2009House Passes Health Care Overhaul by a 220-215 VoteNovember 8, 2009 - The House passed the AMT-opposed "Affordable Health Care for America Act" (H.R. 3962) by a 220-215 vote. The Hill newspaper reports that that the House passed its $1 trillion healthcare overhaul late Saturday with only two votes to spare, becoming the first chamber to vote on such a significant expansion of healthcare since Congress passed Medicare in 1965. Only one Republican voted for the bill, while 39 Democrats opposed it. (more) |
06 November 2009House to Vote on Health Care! AMT Signs Letter Opposing House Leadership BillNovember 5, 2009 - The House plans to vote on the Leadership's "Affordable Health Care for America Act" (H.R. 3972) on Saturday, November 7. AMT joined over 65 small business organizations in signing a coalition letter to Congress urging opposition to H.R. 3972. AMT is a member of the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare. (more) |
06 November 2009President Signs NOL Carryback ExtensionNovember 6, 2009 - In a major victory for AMT, President Obama signed The Worker, Homeowner, and Business Act of 2009. In addition to extending unemployment benefits and the homebuyer tax credit, the new law also extends for an additional year the 5-year Net Operating Loss Carryback provision which was enacted as part of the Recovery Act last winter. It expands it to include medium and large businesses as well. Business losses incurred in 2008 or 2009 can now be used to recoup taxes paid in the prior five year. Extension of the 5-year NOL carryback provision is a top priority for AMT. Our government relations department lobbied hard for it enactment. (more) |
29 October 2009House Leadership Introduces $894 Billion Healthcare PackageOctober 29, 2009 - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) unveiled the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol today. The nearly 2,000-page bill would extend healthcare to 36 million currently uninsured Americans over the next decade at a cost of $894 billion dollars. The bill would largely be paid for by imposing a "millionaire's surtax" on individuals earning over $500,000 and couples over $1 million. AMT strongly opposes a surtax to pay for healthcare reform as this tax increase would fall on many small businesses as well. (more) |
21 October 2009President Announces Proposal to Ease Credit to Small BusinessesOctober 20, 2009 - President Obama announced a new proposal to improve access to credit for small business. The President's plan would redirect a portion of TARP funds away from Wall Street to community banks at a reduced dividend rate. It would also increase the maximum loan amounts for SBA 7(a), 504, and Micro Loans. Congress has also been working on proposals to ease the credit crunch for small businesses. (more) |
05 October 20092009 Depreciation/Expensing Fact SheetA useful sales tool. (more) |
28 September 2009AMT Signs Coalition Letter to Congress Urging Estate Tax ReliefSeptember 24, 2009 - As a member of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, AMT signed a letter to Senators calling for permanent estate tax ("death tax") relief this year. An identical letter was also sent to the House of Representatives. (more) |
17 September 2009Senator Baucus Introduces His Long-Awaited Healthcare ProposalSeptember 16, 2009 - Sen. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has introduced the "America's Healthy Futures Act." The $856 billion healthcare overhaul contains no public option, but instead calls for non-profit coops to compete with private insurers. Although Chairman Baucus had been working for months with a bipartisan "Gang of Six" group of Senators to craft a compromise package, none of the Republicans in the group -- Sens. Grassley (R-IA), Enzi (R-WY), and Snowe (R-ME) -- supported the bill when introduced. Sen. Baucus' legislation includes tax credits to help small businesses (25 employees or less) offer insurance to their employees. To help pay for the plan, Baucus proposes to tax so-called "Cadillac" insurance plans and issue new fees on insurance companies and medical device manufacturers.(more) |
17 September 2009AMT Board Member Kim Beck Discusses Taxes on Capitol HillSeptember 16, 2009 - AMT Board Secretary Kim Beck, President, Automatic Feed Company, participated in a panel discussion for Capitol Hill staff on how U.S. tax policy hurts our small businesses. The event was hosted by the Heritage Foundation. (more) |
08 September 2009White House Names Bloom to New Manufacturing PostSeptember 7, 2009 - President Obama will announce that Ron Bloom will serve as the Administration’s Senior Counselor for Manufacturing Policy. Working closely with the National Economic Council, Bloom will provide leadership on policy development and strategic planning for the President’s agenda to revitalize the manufacturing sector. He will work with departments and agencies across the administration – including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, Energy, and Labor – to integrate existing programs and develop new initiatives affecting the manufacturing sector. (more) |
13 August 2009Treasury, Energy Announce Tax Credits for Energy ManufacturersAugust 13, 2009 - The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy today announced a program to award $2.3 billion in tax credits to manufacturers of advanced energy equipment. Authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), this new program will provide tax credits to manufacturers who produce clean energy equipment. (more) |
16 July 2009Video of the AMT President Testifying Before the House Small Business CommitteeJuly 15, 2009 - McLean, VA. . . .Video from Douglas K. Woods, President of AMT, testifying before the House Small Business Committee on the effects of the tax breaks and other provisions within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – the stimulus law – have so far been minimal on the struggling manufacturing industry. (more) |
15 July 2009Douglas Woods Testimony before the House Small Business CommitteeJuly 15, 2009 - Testimony of Douglas K. Woods, President, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, before the United States House Committee on Small Business.Related Items: Video of the testimony Press Release Listen to Quality Magazine podcast interview with Doug Woods (5 min. 57 sec.) (more) |
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03 July 2009Auto Task Force SurveyJuly 2009 - AMT landed an important meeting with the President’s Auto Task Force on June 19, an opportunity that allowed the association to make the case for manufacturing technology and its role in an economic turnaround — as well as the many struggles the industry faces. (more) |
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03 July 2009Federal Facts - Economic ProspectsJuly 2009 - Customers are cutting costs and avoiding capital investments. With a significant reduction in orders and with credit dramatically reduced, the only option left is to try to ride out the storm.(more) |
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03 June 2009Board members take voices to the HillJune 2009 - Bringing the plight of manufacturers to Capitol Hill, two members of the AMT Board of Directors told members of the House and Senate about the struggles that companies like their own are facing. Carl Reed, President and CEO of Manhattan, Kansas-based Abbott Workholding, and Gene Haffely, Chief Operating Officer of Dayton, Ohio-based Assembly & Test Worldwide, testified before separate committees on May 13, 2009. (more) |
13 May 2009Eugene Haffely Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Committee on BankingMay 13, 2009 - Eugene R. Haffely, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of Assembly & Test Worldwide, Inc. testified on behalf of AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee's Economic Policy Subcommittee. Addressing the committee, Haffely said that the manufacturing technology industry is critical to building and maintaining the strong and dependable defense industrial base that enables the military to protect U.S. citizens and their ideals around the world. He testified that if nothing is done to get credit flowing again to America’s manufacturers, the country could lose its ability to create the new innovative defense systems that provide an advantage over adversaries throughout the world. Then too, there is risk of dependence on foreign sources for U.S. defense needs and national security. (more) |
13 May 2009Carl Reed Testimony Before the House Committee on Small Business HearingMay 13, 2009 - Carl Reed, President and CEO of Manhattan, Kansas-based Abbott Workholding Products, Inc., testified on behalf of AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology, about the far-reaching effects of the auto industry's crisis on its supplier base. (more) |