“Believe in
America: Mitt
Romney’s Plan
for Jobs and
Economic Growth”
NORTH LAS
VEGAS, NV –
Today at
McCandless
International
Trucks, Mitt
Romney presented
his plan to turn
around the
American economy
and achieve the
economic growth
required to
create jobs. The
plan, detailed
in a 160-page
book titled
“Believe in
America: Mitt
Romney’s Plan
for Jobs and
Economic
Growth,” lays
out more than
fifty policy
proposals across
seven different
areas: Taxes,
Regulation,
Trade, Energy,
Labor, Human
Capital, and
Fiscal Policy.
The specific
proposals
include
fundamental tax
reform, a
significant
overhaul of the
federal
regulatory
system,
innovative new
approaches for
opening foreign
markets to
American exports
and for
confronting
China over its
unfair trade
practices, an
aggressive
commitment to
developing
America’s energy
resources, and a
dramatically
reduced role in
the economy for
the federal
government.
“On my first day
in office I will
send five bills
to Congress and
issue five
executive orders
that will get
government out
of the way and
restore America
to the path of
robust economic
growth that we
need to create
jobs,” Romney
said.
Romney was
sharply critical
of President
Obama for
pursuing an
agenda that
expanded
government at
the expense of
economic growth.
He also
questioned why,
after presiding
for three years
over the worst
economic crisis
since the Great
Depression,
President Obama
was only now
preparing to
present his own
jobs plan.
“Presidents
often speak of
their agenda for
the first 100
days. Yet after
nearly 1,000
days, America is
still waiting on
President Obama
to offer a
compelling
vision for
economic
recovery,” said
Romney. “His
refusal to focus
on our economic
crisis for most
of his term will
go down as one
of the great
failures in the
history of the
American
presidency. If I
am elected
president,
turning around
the economy will
be job one on
day one.”
Day One, Job
One:
On his first day
in office,
Romney will
submit a jobs
package to
Congress
consisting of at
least five major
proposals and
will demand that
Congress act on
the package
within 30 days,
using every
power at his
disposal to
ensure its
passage. He will
also take
immediate and
specific steps
within his sole
authority as
president by
issuing a series
of executive
orders that gets
the U.S.
government out
of the economy’s
way. The goal:
restore America
to the path of
robust economic
growth necessary
to create jobs.
Five Bills for
Day One
The American
Competitiveness
Act: Reduces the
corporate income
tax rate to 25
percent
The Open Markets
Act: Implements
the Colombia,
Panama, and
South Korea Free
Trade Agreements
The Domestic
Energy Act:
Directs the
Department of
the Interior to
undertake a
comprehensive
survey of
American energy
reserves in
partnership with
exploration
companies and
initiates
leasing in all
areas currently
approved for
exploration
The Retraining
Reform Act:
Consolidates the
sprawl of
federal
retraining
programs and
returns funding
and
responsibility
for these
programs to the
states
The Down Payment
on Fiscal Sanity
Act: Immediately
cuts
non-security
discretionary
spending by 5
percent,
reducing the
annual federal
budget by $20
billion
Five Executive
Orders for Day
One
An Order to Pave
the Way to End
Obamacare:
Directs the
Secretary of
Health and Human
Services and all
relevant federal
officials to
return the
maximum possible
authority to the
states to
innovate and
design health
care solutions
that work best
for them
An Order to Cut
Red Tape:
Directs all
agencies to
immediately
initiate the
elimination of
Obama-era
regulations that
unduly burden
the economy or
job creation,
and then caps
annual increases
in regulatory
costs at zero
dollars
An Order to
Boost Domestic
Energy
Production:
Directs the
Department of
the Interior to
implement a
process for
rapid issuance
of drilling
permits to
developers with
established
safety records
seeking to use
pre-approved
techniques in
pre-approved
areas
An Order to
Sanction China
for Unfair Trade
Practices:
Directs the
Department of
the Treasury to
list China as a
currency
manipulator in
its biannual
report and
directs the
Department of
Commerce to
assess
countervailing
duties on
Chinese imports
if China does
not quickly move
to float its
currency
An Order to
Empower American
Businesses and
Workers:
Reverses the
executive orders
issued by
President Obama
that tilt the
playing field in
favor of
organized labor,
including the
one encouraging
the use of union
labor on major
government
construction
projects
Mitt Romney’s
Plan for Jobs
and Economic
Growth
The book
released by the
campaign
underscores
President
Obama’s failed
approach to each
policy area
crucial to
turning around
the economy, and
lays out
precisely how
Mitt Romney will
address the
issues as
president:
Tax Policy
Mitt Romney will
push for a
fundamental
redesign of our
tax system. He
recognizes the
need to simplify
the system. He
also recognizes
the need both to
lower rates and
to broaden the
tax base so that
taxation becomes
an instrument
for promoting
economic growth.
As president,
Romney will hold
the line on
individual
income tax rates
and eliminate
taxes on
interest,
dividends, and
capital gains
for low- and
middle-income
taxpayers. He
will eliminate
the estate tax.
And he will
pursue a
conservative
overhaul that
applies lower
and flatter
rates to a
broader tax
base.
Romney will also
reform the
corporate tax
system. He will
immediately
lower the
corporate income
tax rate, and
then explore
opportunities to
further lower
the marginal
rate while
broadening the
tax base. He
will also begin
the process of
transitioning to
a territorial
corporate tax
system. A
territorial
system must be
designed to
encourage
multinational
companies to
bring their
profits back
into the U.S.
and it must
avoid the
creation of
incentives for
outsourcing.
Regulatory
Policy
Mitt Romney will
act swiftly to
tear down the
vast edifice of
regulations the
Obama
Administration
has imposed on
the economy. He
will also seek
to make
structural
changes to the
federal
bureaucracy that
ensure economic
growth remains
front and center
when regulatory
decisions are
made. As
president,
Romney will work
to repeal laws
like Obamacare
and Dodd-Frank
that have given
bureaucrats
unprecedented
discretion to
craft
unpredictable,
job-killing
regulations by
the thousands of
pages.
Romney will also
initiate the
immediate review
of all Obama-era
regulations with
the goal of
eliminating any
that unduly
burden the
economy and job
creation. And he
will impose a
regulatory cap
on all agencies
at zero dollars,
meaning that an
agency issuing a
new regulation
must go through
a budget-like
process and
identify
offsetting cost
reductions from
the existing
regulatory
burden. Other
initiatives in a
Romney
Administration
will include a
new,
cost-conscious
approach to
environmental
regulation; an
increased role
for Congress in
the approval of
new regulations;
and reforms to
the legal
liability
system.
Trade Policy
Mitt Romney sees
free trade as
essential to
restoring robust
economic growth
that creates
jobs. The
productivity and
ingenuity of the
American
workforce are
unparalleled—when
American
business and
workers are able
to compete on a
level playing
field, they have
proved they can
win. Romney will
work to open
foreign markets
for American
goods and
services on
terms that work
for America.
Specifically,
Romney will
submit pending
Free Trade
Agreements to
Congress,
conclude the
Trans-Pacific
Partnership
negotiations,
and seek Trade
Promotion
Authority to
pursue new
trading
relationships.
Romney will also
create the
“Reagan Economic
Zone,” a
multilateral
trading bloc
open to any
country
committed to the
principles of
open markets and
free enterprise.
While continuing
to open new
frontiers,
Romney will also
ensure that
existing trade
agreements are
enforced. Romney
will seek to
build a
constructive
relationship
with China on
the basis of
mutual respect,
while also
making clear
that the United
States will no
longer tolerate
Chinese
practices that
unfairly benefit
their economy at
the expense of
ours. As
president,
Romney will take
unilateral
action and also
partner with
other nations
affected by
China’s refusal
to participate
responsibly in
the global
economy.
Energy Policy
Mitt Romney will
pursue an energy
policy that puts
conservative
principles into
action:
significant
regulatory
reform, support
for increased
production, and
a government
that focuses on
funding basic
research instead
of chasing fads
and picking
winners. Romney
will streamline
federal
regulation of
energy
exploration and
development so
that the
government acts
as a facilitator
of those
activities
instead of as an
obstacle to
them. He will
create one-stop
shops and impose
fixed timelines
for standard
permits and
approvals, and
he will
accelerate the
process for
companies with
established
safety records
seeking to
employ approved
practices in
approved areas.
Under this
robust and
efficient
regulatory
framework,
Romney will
significantly
expand the areas
available for
energy
development—including
in the Gulf of
Mexico, the
Outer
Continental
Shelf, Western
lands, and
Alaska. He will
also strengthen
partnerships
with Canada and
Mexico to expand
opportunities
for American
companies in the
development of
those nations’
resources. And
he will
encourage
continued
development of
unconventional
reserves like
shale gas and
oil that hold
enormous promise
for expanding
the base of U.S.
reserves.
Labor Policy
Mitt Romney will
protect the
worker rights
and employer
flexibility
crucial to
innovation,
economic growth,
and job
creation. As
president,
Romney’s first
step in
improving labor
policy will be
to ensure that
our labor laws
create a stable
and level
playing field on
which businesses
can operate.
This means he
will appoint to
the National
Labor Relations
Board (NLRB)
experienced
individuals with
a respect for
the law and an
even-handed
approach to
labor relations.
Rather than seek
to impose his
own vision for
the future of
labor law via
executive fiat
and bureaucratic
subterfuge,
Romney will take
the conservative
approach and
work with
Congress to
amend the
outdated
portions of the
existing
statutory
framework,
setting it on a
stronger footing
appropriate to
contemporary
conditions.
Specifically,
Romney will seek
amendments to
the National
Labor Relations
Act that protect
free enterprise,
free choice, and
free speech. The
Act must be
amended to
ensure that it
does not allow
the NLRB to
constrain
companies in
their investment
decisions, as
the NLRB is
attempting to do
in the Boeing
case. It must
also be amended
to guarantee
workers the
right to receive
full information
about the pros
and cons of
unionization and
then express
their own
preference in
the privacy of
the voting
booth. And it
must put an end
to the
undemocratic
practice of
allowing unions
to deduct money
directly from
worker paychecks
and spend it on
political causes
with which the
workers may
disagree.
Human Capital
Policy
Mitt Romney sees
two important
objectives that
America can
pursue
immediately to
build on the
extraordinary
traditional
strengths of its
workforce. The
first is to
retrain American
workers to
ensure that they
have the
education and
skills to match
the jobs of
today’s economy.
The second is to
attract the best
and brightest
from around the
world. As
president,
Romney will
focus retraining
efforts on a
partnership that
brings together
the states and
the private
sector. He will
consolidate
federal programs
and then block
grant major
funding streams
to states.
Federal policy
will be
structured to
encourage the
use of Personal
Reemployment
Accounts that
empower workers
to put
retraining funds
to efficient use
and that
encourage
employers to
provide
on-the-job
training.
Romney will also
press for an
immigration
policy that
maximizes
America’s
economic
potential. The
United States
needs to attract
and retain job
creators from
wherever they
come. Romney
will raise the
ceiling on the
number of visas
issued to
holders of
advanced degrees
in math,
science, and
engineering who
have job offers
in those fields
from U.S.
companies.
Romney will also
work to
establish a
policy that
staples a green
card to the
diploma of every
eligible student
visa holder who
graduates from
an American
university with
an advanced
degree in math,
science, or
engineering.
Fiscal Policy
The only recipe
for fiscal
health and a
thriving private
economy is a
government that
spends within
its means. Mitt
Romney will
immediately move
to cut spending
and cap it at 20
percent of GDP.
As spending
comes under
control, he will
pursue further
cuts that would
allow caps to be
set even lower
so as to
guarantee future
fiscal
stability. As a
first step in
this direction,
Romney will move
immediately to
cut non-security
discretionary
spending by 5
percent.
But more will be
required to
bring the budget
under control.
Romney will also
work to reform
Medicaid,
converting it to
a federal block
grant
administered by
the states, and
he will provide
the leadership
necessary to
make progress in
reforming other
entitlement
programs. He
will undertake a
fundamental
restructuring of
the federal
government that
places the
burden on the
federal agency
to establish why
a program or
service must be
provided at the
federal level
and gives to the
private sector
and the states
whatever
functions they
can perform more
effectively.
Finally, he will
pursue a
Balanced Budget
Amendment to
ensure that the
out-of-control
borrowing and
spending of the
Obama
Administration
is never
repeated.
* * *
Mitt Romney will
rebuild the
foundations of
the American
economy on the
principles of
free enterprise,
hard work, and
innovation. His
plan emphasizes
critical
structural
adjustments
rather than
short-term
fixes. It seeks
to reduce taxes,
spending,
regulation, and
government
programs. It
seeks to
increase trade,
energy
production,
human capital,
and labor
flexibility. It
relinquishes
power to the
states instead
of claiming to
have the
solution to
every problem.
The plan does
not increase the
size of the
federal budget
or bureaucracy.
To the contrary,
it cuts spending
and streamlines
regulation. It
does not promise
the immediate
creation of some
imaginary number
of jobs, because
government
cannot create
jobs—at least
not productive
ones that
contribute to
our long-term
prosperity. It
is economic
growth, not
government
growth, that
provides
productive
opportunities
for American
workers. That is
the lesson of
these past three
years, and one
that America has
learned well
even if the
White House has
not.
Any American
living through
this economic
crisis will
immediately
recognize the
severity of the
break that Mitt
Romney proposes
from our current
course. He is
calling for a
fundamental
change in
Washington’s
view of how
economic growth
and prosperity
are achieved,
how jobs are
created, and how
government can
support these
endeavors. It is
at once a deeply
conservative
return to
policies that
have served our
nation well and
a highly
ambitious
departure from
the policies of
our current
leadership. In
short, it is a
plan to get
America back to
work.
Source:
Mitt Romney For
President
Website |