My top priority is promoting job creation and economic growth here at home in Southwest Michigan. With the coronavirus crisis, we are facing a number of new challenges on the economic front. Folks lost jobs here in Southwest Michigan and across the country, and job creation and economic growth are priorities. I am working to ensure that our region has a seat at the national table on issues of importance to Michigan families and businesses, just as I always have.

Helping Michigan Drug and Medical Device Manufacturers Compete 

As a major life sciences innovation corridor, Southwest Michigan is a national leader in healthcare research and manufacturing. In past Congresses, I led the way in the House for the successful reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) user fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices. By improving the federal evaluation and approval processes, we significantly help Michigan manufactures like Perrigo, Pfizer, and Stryker better compete with companies overseas, allowing them to bring their life-saving products to patients faster. My FDA reform bill also supports advancements in generic drugs and biosimilars, helps prevent future drug shortages, and promotes treatment options for children with rare diseases. This important reauthorization was again finalized in 2016, marking a win-win for both job creators here at home and patients across the country.

My bipartisan 21st Century Cures legislation also includes provisions that help American companies compete in the research and manufacturing sector. By investing in these efforts, we can keep good paying, local jobs right here in our corner of the state. 

Enacting Pro-Growth Tax Reform

Plain and simple: our old tax system was broken. It was a complicated mess that imposed burdensome paperwork on Michigan families and small businesses, rewarded some while punishing others, and forced businesses to move overseas. I long supported comprehensive tax reform to create a system that is simple, efficient, and fair to all taxpayers. By enacting a pro-growth tax system, we can promote innovation and job creation in the private sector, help U.S. businesses compete on an even playing field with overseas competitors, and allow taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned dollars

I supported wholeheartedly the pro-growth Tax Cuts & Jobs Act that was signed into law at the end of 2017. Our economy was strong before the coronavirus crisis hit, and we will need to work together on solutions that once again help put us toward strong economic growth.

Protecting Small Businesses from Harmful Regulations 

Unnecessary regulations and red tape unilaterally imposed by un-elected Washington bureaucrats are cutting into the bottom line of Michigan employers, making it more costly for them to do business and harder to create jobs.

Affordable and reliable energy is also critical for a growing economy. I have led the fight to protect jobs and keep energy costs down by preventing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies from imposing costly new regulations on U.S. manufacturers and energy producers.

USMCA

The new US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement will help American workers, American jobs, and the American economy, and I was proud to support it. Canada and Mexico are two of our state’s and our nation’s most important trading partners, supporting more than 2 million jobs nationally at 43,000 manufacturers. The bottom line is it’s a win for Michigan workers. Trade is absolutely vital to our state’s economy, and our auto suppliers, manufacturers, and farmers will all benefit greatly from this new agreement.