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The Focus of Today's Session will be
S.1637, the Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act

5:45 P.M.

Senator Dodd and Senator Reid have been discussing Senator Dodd's amendment.  They have frequently pointed to a set of charts produced by Senator Kennedy and his staff that detail what types of jobs have been outsourced.  There will be no further roll call votes this evening.  Votes are expected tomorrow throughout the day. 

4:45 P.M.

Senator Dodd and Senator Baucus have been debating Senator Dodd's amendment, S.Amdt.2660.  For text of this amendment, click here.  The purpose of Senator Dodd's amendment pertains to the outsourcing of jobs that are contracted using federal funds.  Senator Dodd has also been speaking about the protection of medical records, and insuring these records are processed in the United States. 

4:30 P.M.

The Senate approved by voice vote, Senator Bingaman's amendment S.Amdt.2651 and by vote of 93-0 the Senate agreed to Senator Hatch's amendment.  Links to the text of these amendments can be found below.  Earlier in the day the Senate passed two of Senator Grassley's amendments, S.Amdt.2645 and S.Amdt.2646. 

3:00 P.M.

Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, is speaking about the outsourcing of jobs.  He is referencing an article published in this morning's Wall Street Journal that touched on this subject. 

2:30 P.M.

Senator Bingaman offered an amendment, S.Amdt.2651 regarding research and development tax credits.  Senators Ensign and Baucus both spoke in support of this amendment.  For text of the amendment, click here.  At 3:30 p.m., two votes are expected on the Bingaman amendment, and an amendment proposed by Senator Hatch.  For the text of Senator Hatch's amendment, click here.

2:00 P.M.

Senator Harkin continued to speak at length about how members of the armed forces that have received special training in the military will be stripped of their rights to overtime pay when they return to their jobs.

1:30 P.M.

Senator Harkin has been speaking about overtime protections and regulations.  Earlier this year the Senate debated changes to these regulations and they were ultimately included in the Omnibus Appropriations bill.  Senator Harkin has been a clear and consistent voice on this issue. 

12:45 P.M.

Senator Robert C. Byrd is summarizing the Aesop's Fable "The Jay and The Peacock," the moral of which is it "takes more than fine feathers to make fine birds." Senator Byrd claimed that the President's creation of a commission to investigate the use of the pre-war intelligence that was gathered gives the appearance of "fine plumage," but is in fact "a big turkey." He is stating that the public has a right to know whether the Administration misrepresented the intelligence to lead our country into war and asks who is going to be held accountable. He is saying that he feels the Administration's commission will not be sufficiently independent from the Administration in order to result in thorough answers.

12:35 P.M.

Senator Grassley stated that the first four amendments to be offered to S.1637 will be Senators Hatch and Murray's amendment about the research and experimentation tax credit; Senator Dodd's amendment about outsourcing; Senators Bunning and Stabenow's amendment about accelerating manufacturers tax cut; and an amendment by Senator Daschle or a designee.  In addition, Senator Bingaman may offer an amendment to Senators Hatch and Murray's amendment.

12:25 P.M.

Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, after voicing his opposition to the Bush Administration's recent claim that outsourcing jobs is good for America, is praising the Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act because it would create tax incentives for manufacturers in order to keep jobs here in America. While he acknowledges that this bill alone will not solve all of the manufacturing job problems in the U.S., Senator Daschle feels that it would be a strong first step.

12:10 P.M.

Senator Max Baucus is stressing that we much "face up to the challenge" and figure out how to create more jobs in America, how to keep jobs in America, and how to help those Americans who have lost their jobs. In Senator Baucus' words, this is situation where the government can either "try or sit back and do nothing," and he fears that the Bush Administration is choosing the latter. He is urging his colleagues to "meet this challenge head on," and he feels that S.1637 is a good start in doing so.

11:40 A.M.

Senator Grassley is continuing to discuss his bill, S.1637, and is emphasizing the importance of creating more jobs in an era of expanding global markets and the importance of our international tax laws “keeping up” with and adjusting to these ever-changing markets.

11:10 A.M.

Senator Baucus is discussing his reasons for co-sponsoring S.1637. He believes in the dignity and importance of work, and how integral a part it plays in our identity. As of July 2000, one in every six manufacturing jobs has disappeared. Senator Baucus feels we need this bill in order to create more jobs.

10:50 A.M.

Senator Grassley introduced the bill that will be discussed throughout the day. S.1637, the “Jumpstart our Business Strength” Act, would make sure that the manufacturing industry stays on the path that it is currently on, and continue its strong recovery. It would enhance employment in the manufacturing sector, and would provide for domestic tax relief and international tax reforms. This bill would not support off-shore manufacturing. He also pointed out that this bill is revenue neutral, meaning that it would generate enough money that would pay for the costs of implementation, and would eventually create revenue for the United States. It would repeal the current FSC/ETI standards, and would create 3-point tax rate cuts for United States-based manufacturing only.

10:30 A.M.

Morning business has concluded. There is now a Quorum call related to the pending bill, S.1637, the FSC/ETI bill.

10:25 A.M.

Senator Wyden discussed the bill that he is introducing with Senator Stevens to protect the privacy of young Americans. This bill would restrict the information that is made available to marketing firms, allowing for more privacy for children and their families.

10:20 A.M.

Senator Collins discussed the introduction of her bill, the “Growing our Manufacturing Employment Act”. This bill would address the high cost of manufacturing in the United States by providing companies with tax breaks. She believes that a healthy manufacturing base is critical to the future of the United States.

10:15 A.M.

Senator Dodd is discussing two issues. He feels that the Jobs Act must be addressed as America is losing a “strategic base” with the lack of jobs.  He  questioned whether the administration understands this, especially with their recent statements regarding the advantages of outsourcing. Senator Dodd is also discussing the problems in Haiti, and that the United States had been warned that they needed to support the democratically elected government, even if it was flawed, or else there would be a great deal of political unrest, such as which we are seeing now.

10:00 A.M.

Senator Murkowski is arguing for the passage of the energy bill. This bill includes language that would allow for Alaska to receive loan guarantees for a company that is chosen for the construction of a new gas pipeline.  Last November the Senate considered another version of the Energy bill, but ultimately voted not to invoke cloture on the conference report for the Energy Policy Act.  Click here for the More From the Floor record of that debate. 

9:45 A.M.

Senator Daschle is discussing the intelligence problems prior to the war with Iraq. He argued that the administration mislead the American people, and that they underestimated the cost, complexity, danger, and length of time that would occur with this war.

9:30 A.M.

The Senate will reconvene this morning at 9:30 to discuss bill S.1637, the Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act introduced on September 18th, 2003 by Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Charles Grassley of Iowa. The bill seeks to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by specifically repealing a $50 billion export subsidy ruled to be illegal by the World Trade Organization. If passed, the illegal subsidies would be replaced with $114 billion in new corporate tax cuts. Debate on this bill could last throughout the next couple of days with several amendments being offered, including an amendment proposed by Senator Tom Harking of Iowa which would prohibit the Labor Department from implementing rule changes to overtime pay. Other Senators may raise concerns regarding the increased outsourcing of American jobs overseas and the importance of job creation in the U.S.