NEW: Cicilline to Introduce Major Manufacturing Bill
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. David Cicilline will be among the only freshmen standing at the head of the House Visitors Center Room 117 this afternoon, where House Democratic leaders are planning to unveil their formal “Make it in America” agenda for the year.
Cicilline will be on hand, in a press conference likely to be led by better-known and better-connected Democrats, to help draw attention to a piece of the larger legislative package, which is essentially House Democrats’ jobs bill for the new Congress. Cicilline’s contribution is something he long ago dubbed the “Make it in America Block Grant.” And it represents the Rhode Island Congressman’s signature job-creation plan, a campaign promise that he hopes could ultimately pump roughly $2 billion to small- and medium-sized manufacturing businesses in Rhode Island and across the county.
“If we’re going to re-build the economy, we need to focus part of that strategy on making things in this country again,” Cicilline told GoLocalProv Wednesday morning. “We have some real opportunity for growth in those areas in Rhode Island and elsewhere.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIndeed, the inclusion of Cicilline’s top legislative priority in Democrats’ larger jobs bill is a significant political victory for a freshman lawmaker in an institution where senior members dictate policy choices. But practically speaking, the political success likely won’t mean much to the Congressman’s constituents.
Little chance in GOP House
Today’s Capitol Hill press conference may draw plenty of media coverage. But the Democratic agenda to be unveiled at 1 p.m. will not become law this year as currently written. The only agenda that matters in the U.S. House of Representatives these days is that of Republicans, who have the majority and therefore the ability to completely ignore House Democrats’ wishes should they choose to.
Cicilline acknowledges that his proposal could be ignored by the Republican majority.
“I think there’s no question -- we’re in the minority and we don’t set the agenda. There hasn’t been any interest in a jobs bill by the Republican leadership. This is going to be an uphill battle,” he said. “Hopeful we can bipartisan support. But that will obviously be decided by Republicans We’re going to push hard.”
The new political realities of Capitol Hill were not lost on Cicilline’s 2010 opponent, former state Rep. John Loughlin, who also seized on the cost of the plan when asked to weigh in.
“Congressman Cicilline was very free with spending the money of the citizens of Providence and we've seen the results for that city, now he's move on to finding ways to spend America's money,” Loughlin told GoLocalProv. “Unfortunately for Rhode Island, none of the Congressman's grand dreams will matter largely because he's a freshman member of the minority party.
Will be first major bill for Cicilline
Cicilline’s plan will be unveiled at today’s press conference, but formally introduced as a standalone bill in the coming weeks. It will represent the first bill to bear his name as the prime sponsor.
The proposal would create grant opportunities for manufacturers with 500 or fewer workers. Only businesses in states that suffered unemployment rates in excess of 10 percent from January 2007 through December 2010, or those that saw manufacturing employment fall by 15 percent or more over that time could qualify.
Rhode Island is one of 29 states and territories that would qualify, according to Cicilline’s office. The grants could be used for things like retrofitting manufacturing facilities, shifting business plans to reflect new manufacturing technology, employee training, and expanding export opportunities.
The overall cost of the grant program is unclear. While he pegged it as a $2 billion plan on the campaign trail, he said it’s too early to determine a cost in its latest incarnation. His bill would essentially amount to enabling legislation, requiring funding levels to be set in the federal budget or another appropriations bill.
Cicilline said he’s been talking up the plan, which he describes as “the cornerstone of my campaign,” since freshman orientation with leading Democrats such as Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat.
Hoyer’s office offered this statement this morning:
“Representative Cicilline is strongly committed to supporting small to medium-sized businesses hit hardest by unemployment, and has worked to find ways to ensure they have the resources and strategies they need to compete and succeed in a new energy economy,” Hoyer said. “His legislation has been included in Democrats’ ‘Make It In America agenda’ which is focused on creating jobs, increasing manufacturing, and supporting small businesses so that we can put people back to work.”
Hoyer did not address the political realities that suggest the Democrats’ plan will never become a reality, at least not over the next two years. But Cicilline, a freshman lawmaker whose low approval ratings back home could spell trouble for him in 2012, said he won’t back down.
“You can’t expect the notion that just because we’re in the minority and it will be really hard we shouldn’t try,” Cicilline said.
If you valued this article, please LIKE GoLocalProv.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Related Articles
- BREAKING NEWS: Democratic Party Chair Defends Cicilline’s Record
- Cicilline Announces Federal Help for Dell Health Care Employees
- Cicilline Back in District, Holds Jobs Roundtable
- Cicilline Bill Takes On Longtime Need for Responsible Gun Control Measures
