WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJRT) -
(07/19/12) - She thought it was no-brainer, but Senator Debbie Stabenow is scratching her head after her "Bring Jobs Home Act" failed to get enough support to move forward in the U.S. Senate Thursday.
In this case, majority doesn't rule. The Senate needed 60 votes to move forward with the Bring Jobs Home Act, but it fell short by just four votes.
Stabenow sponsored the bill, which would've ended a tax credit for moving costs for companies that move jobs overseas, and instead, give a tax break to companies that move jobs back to the U.S., plus an additional 20 percent tax credit for the costs of moving production back.
Before Thursday's vote, Stabenow told ABC12's Ted Fioraliso, "We have a very positive story to tell in Michigan. We actually have companies that are bringing jobs back – including Ford, GM, Chrysler, and GE. A group in Detroit called Galaxy Solutions has a sign saying, ‘Insource to Detroit.' They're bringing jobs back, and that's what we need to focus on."
So what happened? Eliminating tax incentives to ship jobs overseas was number-one on President Obama's "To-Do List" for Congress, so some believe the vote was political.
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said the Bring Jobs Home Act was misleading.
"On the surface, this might sound reasonable," Hatch said. "But as far as tax policy goes, this is a joke."
After Thursday's vote, Stabenow released a statement saying, "We are going to continue to work to get Congress to put politics aside, put American jobs first and pass this bill."
