Paulsen Post: House Passes Three More Jobs Measures

Editor's note: The following piece was written by Congressman Erik Paulsen.

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. This week in Washington the House passed three more bipartisan pro-growth jobs bills. Here is an update from our nation’s capitol. Please feel free to let me know whenever I can be of assistance. Join the conversation online by visiting my website, Facebook page, and Twitter.

House Passes Three More Jobs Measures

Job growth is still my number one priority. Currently, more than 20 bipartisan House-passed jobs bills are waiting for action in the Senate. This week, the House moved forward with three more common-sense pieces of legislation that will remove government barriers to job growth for Minnesotans.

Here is a rundown of the three pro-growth bills which passed the House this week:

• The Workforce Democracy & Fairness Act (H.R. 3094) was passed on Wednesday. This common-sense legislation would prevent the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from imposing sweeping new regulations that threaten American jobs. The Workforce Democracy & Fairness Act also overturns new NLRB rules that would raise costs on job creators in our communities.

• On Thursday, The Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (H.R. 527) was passed in the House. This legislation closes loopholes used by government agencies that allow them to impose costly regulations on our nation’s small businesses. The bill makes fundamental and structural reform of the rule-making system to help ensure a better environment for American job creators and employees.

• The Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010) which passed Friday, is a bipartisan bill that requires government agencies to assess the costs and benefits of new regulations on American small businesses. Several dozen groups representing job creators, small businesses, and manufacturers supported the bill because it will update and modernize our 65 year old regulatory process and help prevent new federal rules from stalling American job growth.

Track the progress of House-passed jobs bills on my Facebook Page.

Highlighting Successful Wellness and Prevention Initiatives

As co-chair of the Congressional Wellness Caucus I joined my fellow co-chair, Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), earlier this week at the Healthcare Leadership Council’s launching of the HLC Wellness Compendium, a collection of successful private sector wellness and prevention initiatives. Workplace wellness programs are an effective way to combat chronic diseases and lower healthcare costs.

In 2009, United States health care expenditures reached nearly $2.5 trillion, which is a pocketbook issue for families, individuals, and companies alike. These ever-expanding costs are serious roadblocks for American businesses that are already struggling to grow. By supporting proactive and preventative care, we can help curb healthcare costs and improve the lives of employees.  In fact, encouraging a healthy workplace is a win-win for everyone. Employers see lower healthcare costs and reduced absenteeism. For employees, the benefits are even greater.

I am honored to help lead the bipartisan, bicameral efforts of the Congressional Wellness Caucus in the effort to educate our colleagues, as well as their staff, about the benefits and values that come with workplace wellness programs for employers and employees alike.

You can find a copy of the HLC Wellness Compendium here.

Remembering the Sacrifice of Gabe Zimmerman

We all remember how my close friend and colleague Rep. Gabby Giffords was injured in the senseless shooting attack last January. What many may not know is that others were also injured and killed on that tragic day. Rep. Giffords’ Director of Community Outreach, Gabe Zimmerman, was one individual who lost his life, and on Wednesday afternoon the House honored Gabe’s service by dedicating a Capitol Visitor Center room in his name.  I spoke on the floor in support of the resolution. View my floor remarks (attached).