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For the laughter of the children,
For my own life breath,
For the abundance of food on this table,
For the ones who prepare this sumptuous feast,
For the roof over our heads,
The clothes on our backs,
For our health,
And our wealth of blessings,
For this opportunity to celebrate with family and friends,
For the freedom to pray these words
Without fear,
In any language,
In any faith,
In this great country,
Whose landscape is as vast and beautiful as her inhabitants.
Thank You, God, for giving us all these.
Amen.
-Rabbi Naomi Levy
 
 
Happy Thanksgiving to You and Your Family,
Sincerely,
 
Tim Murphy


Posted by Tim Murphy
November 23, 2011 12:50 pm

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A year ago, a friend told me a story about what he had witnessed in a local store.

A customer standing nearby asked a clerk for a look at the alarm clocks behind the counter. As each clock was passed to her, the customer inspected it closely, turning the package upside down and without a word handed each one back to the store clerk. After the third clock was returned, he asked if there was a particular feature she was looking for, to which she replied:   

"Yes, I want one made in America."

She walked out of the store empty handed.

Folks, when was the last time you turned over a product and saw it stamped "Made in America?"

Just today, news came out of New Jersey that the Girl Scouts of America (of all organizations) will seek bids from Chinese manufacturers to produce their sashes and uniforms, instead of the family-run business that's been producing those uniforms for the last ten years. According to the owner, that's 90 jobs that will likely be lost for good, and sadly, his comments echo what we hear all too often from American businesses: "I cannot compete if they (Chinese manufacturers) are setting their prices at half of what I'm making."

In the last decade, we've lost an astonishing five million blue-collar jobs across the nation - nearly one-fifth of our manufacturing workforce. And next year, we will lose our perch as the number one global manufacturer...to China.

The good news is that around Southwestern Pennsylvania we still make things like industrial products, heavy machinery, and even cookware and children’s toys.

But we can do better. We need to do better to get our economy moving foward.

That's the theme of my latest radio spot, which features a standup guy who has focused his time and effort on the rebirth of American manufacturing - John Ratzenberger. You probably remember John as "Cliff" on Cheers and the host of the Travel Channel's "Made in America," which showcased our country's unique factory gems.

I met John Ratzenberger a few years ago through his work with the Alliance for American Manufacturing. John's been actively drawing attention to changes needed in our nation's tax, trade, and training policies so we can get our factories humming again.

That's been my priority in Congress, and yesterday, I was honored to accept a "Manufacturing Legislative Excellence" award from the National Association of Manufacturers.

At the event, my message to our local manufacturers in the audience was clear: ‘Yes, job creators are under attack with new mandates, regulations, and ham-fisted oversight by unresponsive government agencies. Yes, there are policies threatening to cause electric bills to skyrocket. And yes, higher taxes loom ahead under the current Congressional regime in power. But we've had some successes and we can't stop now.'

We need to go on the offense, and aggressively push for an agenda that centers around growing our manufacturing base. Some of that work has already begun.

On the Energy and Commerce Committee, I helped to re-draft the House-passed legislation that develops a National Manufacturing strategy.  And just last month, Congress passed on an overwhelming bipartisan basis a bill I co-authored to stop the Chinese government’s illegal export subsidies through manipulation of currency markets.

So long as we keep working together, progress and prosperity will not be memories from a bygone era, but rather will be the promises made and delivered to our children. I know that America's best days are ahead because the people of Southwestern Pennsylvania retain a can-do work ethic and a determined spirit.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. Please email me at contacttim@electtimmurphy.com .

Sincerely,
Tim Murphy



Posted by Tim Murphy
October 29, 2010 11:00 pm

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Dear Friends:
A lot's happened in the last 24 hours.
 
Observer-Reporter Endorsement
We picked up another endorsement, this one from the Observer-Reporter. The O-R noted that "amid much of the overheated rhetoric generated from both sides of the aisle, Murphy is a breath of fresh air." I bring this line up in particular because I've heard from so many of you that are fed up with the tone and direction of so many campaign ads this season. Instead of trudging down a muddy road, I've focused on my record of service and the issues most important to you.
 
New Ad - "Clean Coal"
Over at The Almanac, coverage of my campaign is headlined: "Jobs are top issue in 18th Congressional race." The author writes that I am "passionate about energy policies, including the need for clean coal," which ties perfectly into my newest spot on job creation.
 
You've heard me speak again and again about investing in clean coal technology. Instead of ending coal-fired energy production through a "cap and trade" program designed not to clean up our aging power plants but to shut them down, I've advanced policies that invest in making clean coal technology a reality for electricity generation. Take a look at my ad by clicking here and let me know what you think on the issue by emailing me at contacttim@electtimmurphy.com .
 
Debate Coverage
We also had a lot of coverage on the debate Tuesday night in Peters Township. A band of thunderstorms rolled through the area as we convened at the middle school, but that wasn't the only wave coming through our region that night. The wave of patriotism that's crossing our country was also on proud display as the audience spontaneously rose to their feet and broke into a pledge of allegiance to our nation here in Washington County.
 
Folks, I'm honored to represent an area where pledging allegiance to the flag still matters. We are a people proud to honor our veterans, respect our republic, and cherish our time-honored values. What made the pledge Tuesday night even more special is that in the audience we had soldiers who served our country in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan; indeed one young man in uniform. When we pledge allegiance to our flag, we are honoring their service and sacrifice.
 
The moderator of the debate sought to halt the audience from reciting the pledge, but if you listen to the Quinn and Rose Show on 104.7 FM, you know what happens next. Undeterred, the audience stood up and began reciting the pledge anyway! Click here to listen to a podcast of my appearance yesterday morning on Quinn and Rose.
 
As word quickly spread, KDKA began investigating the events and the story was retold by Jon Delano on the Wednesday evening news.
 
Then the Post Gazette called for further questioning, and an "American moment" was captured in full.
 
Talking Issues
As was made clear during the debate, Americans across the country are determined to once again make government responsive to the people. You said ‘NO' to a $1 trillion dollar healthcare takeover that puts more barriers between you and your doctor; ‘NO' to a $4 trillion tax hike on families and small businesses; ‘NO' to bailouts; and ‘NO' to massive new energy taxes that kill Western PA jobs.
 
These issues so clearly articulate the philosophical difference between me and my opponent.
 
He thinks Washington should run healthcare and that the new healthcare bill doesn't go far enough. He says the "tough choices" to be made in Washington aren't spending cuts but raising taxes! And he believes amnesty is the best immigration "reform" plan.
 
You and I believe decisions about your family's future and finances should be made by you, not government in Washington. And you want Washington to put the breaks on massive new programs that cost billions and stop job growth.
 
At the end of the campaign, the support I hope to receive - from all corners of the district - will be a reflection of our ability to work together on the issues that matter to you. From standing up for USA manufacturers to expanding access to quality affordable healthcare, we've achieved a lot for our community. I hope you agree and lend me your support on November 2. As always, keep the feedback coming.


Posted by Tim Murphy
October 28, 2010 2:00 pm

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You've heard my latest radio spots and asked me to share them online. They are now posted, so please go to my website to watch the videos and keep the feedback coming! I am grateful for all your positive comments. It is humbling to hear your well wishes and support.

 

Tim's New Health Care Messages

   

From the many conversations we've had and through the communications I've sent out over the years, you know that I've dedicated my legislative work and professional career to reforming our healthcare system.

I've focused this message on healthcare reform because we have so much work ahead of us to fix this system.

As a state senator, I authored Pennsylvania's Patients' Bill of Rights - legislation empowering you to develop and review your treatment plan in the doctor's office, and not the insurance office, as well as many other reforms that ended the managed care stranglehold on the healthcare system.

My legislation - now statewide law - focused on your needs and your rights as a consumer of healthcare. It put families and individuals in control of the most important aspect of their lives: healthcare.

What was most disappointing for me during the whole healthcare debate this year in Washington was how little we focused on real reforms. In fact, we didn't focus on reforms and what we were promised is not what we got. The legislation didn't fix or reform the broken system; it merely expanded and financed it through higher (as well as hidden) taxes.

Healthcare reform shouldn't cost you more, limit your choices, or take away your rights and control of your care.

Quality Health Care Reform
 
Let me share with you one policy initiative that I have been working on to demonstrate how we can reform the system to provide more care without raising taxes or taking away your control.

Community health centers (CHC) offer quality healthcare services to uninsured and underinsured families, but a shortage of doctors has made it difficult for CHCs to meet their full potential. Nearly seventy percent of patients treated at CHCs are members of the working poor and have family incomes at or below the poverty level, and more than thirty percent of patients are uninsured. But many are still unable to access care because of major shortages of doctors at CHCs. In some cases the shortage is as high as twenty percent. Many doctors want to volunteer and serve these families in a CHC setting, but existing law makes it nearly impossible for them to give their time. My legislation ends the regulatory obstacles that prevent doctors from volunteering at CHCs, ensuring families who otherwise would not have regular access to healthcare have a family doctor and a real healthcare home.

My legislation demonstrates that there are quality reforms we can pursue that impact real lives in a positive way without costing trillions or putting Washington in charge of local care. I'm proud to say that my bill passed the House of Representatives with near unanimous support.
 
The Differences in this Election

The efforts and ideas I offer on healthcare reform stand in stark contrast to that of my opponent, who thinks the new healthcare legislation didn't go far enough.

For starters, he advocates opening up Medicare, a program meant to serve seniors, universally to everybody regardless of age or medical condition. This kind of Medicare-For-All proposal was even considered too radical by the Majority in Congress that pushed through the healthcare bill we have now, and was abandoned at the onset of the debate.

That's because a single-payer system run through Medicare isn't just the wrong diagnosis for what's ailing our nation's $2.5 trillion health system; it's also the wrong prescription for a program designed specifically to help seniors. And from our numerous discussions and meetings, I know that his proposal for Medicare doesn't represent the values shared by you, me, and Southwestern Pennsylvanians.

Ultimately, we still have a lot of work to do. And you can be sure that I'll continue to advance reforms that expand access to quality care without bankrupting our system.

As always, I hope you'll share with me your ideas on true healthcare reform. Please send me an email to contacttim@electtimmurphy.com.


Posted by Tim Murphy
October 23, 2010 3:00 pm

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For two years now, we've been told that an agenda of bailouts, government take-overs, massive trillion dollar stimulus and more government spending would stabilize our economy and create jobs. Just last month, the President announced he wanted to borrow another $50 billion for so-called job creation - a proposal that fell flat and wasn't even called for a vote by a Congress with sizable Democratic majorities. Taxpayers and the middle class, rightfully so, are angry, fed up, and have little to show for two years of spending except massive new debt.

Even before the recession, our factories were closing and the accompanying jobs headed overseas. As a result, it was announced recently that China is set to surpass the US as the world's top manufacturer. Simply put, that is a terrible blow to the US economy, and a wake-up call that the same old economic policies which ignore the inequities in our trade relationship with China are insufficient in saving our middle class and our manufacturing base. Frankly, no amount of tax relief or government spending can bring those jobs back.

Unless America gets back to "making things" again by rebuilding our manufacturing sector, we will reduce our global economic competitiveness, export more jobs and become even more dependent on other countries for the goods we rely on in our daily lives. The "Forgotten Job Creator," the American manufacturer, is slowly but surely priced out of the market by cheaper foreign goods and run out of business. This has serious consequences for our long term fiscal health, our national security, our middle class and the desire we all have to leave behind a brighter future for our kids and grandkids.

Recent Victory for American Manufacturing

The good news is we have a recent victory in Washington, that has been a long time coming, to rebuild our manufacturing base, not just for the short term, but over the long term---and that means more jobs.

Since the recession hit, I've asked our local manufacturers what Congress could do to help them. Their response was overwhelmingly clear. You'd expect that at the top of the list would be tax cuts, which are still critically needed, or stimulus grants. But that wasn't what I heard. I didn't hear about SBA loans or expanding Department of Commerce small business programs. While some of these things may help in the short term, they aren't inspiring a lot of confidence to help them compete over the long term. What I heard repeatedly from local manufacturers is that they need Congress to stop China from cheating, and finally have our government hold our biggest trading partner accountable. That, they said, would level the playing field, create jobs and grow our economy.

As a result, I sponsored the bi-partisan Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act with Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) which would finally allow American businesses, particularly manufacturers, to seek relief against countries that maintain an artificially low currency, like China.

I am happy to report that in a major victory, the Murphy/Ryan measure passed the House of Representatives on September 30th by an overwhelming margin, sending a strong signal to China that even if the Administration isn't taking action, in Congress we are serious about this issue and will fight for American jobs.

For years the Chinese government has undervalued their currency by as much as 40%, and thus subsidizing their exports with a 40% discount on prices on their goods. This gives China tremendous advantages and allows them to dump cheap goods into our domestic markets. American manufacturers can compete with anyone in the world, but even against a 40% discount, it's an uphill climb.

In many instances, one of our local business leaders told me, the Chinese can sell the exact same products made here for less than the cost of the material goods to make it. Being able to sell a product cheaper than the material goods, especially after factoring in labor, regulatory and shipping costs, is impossible to do without a subsidy.

Awaiting Support from the President, Despite Past Promises

There is still work to be done. The bill must pass the Senate and earn the signature of the President.

Throughout the campaign, and even right here in southwest Pennsylvania on April 14, 2008, President Obama pledged to tighten rules on trade with China. The Tribune-Review wrote the next day that, "Obama promised to start shutting off U.S. markets to Chinese goods if the country continued keeping the value of its currency artificially low."

Now, he's singing a different tune. The President has yet to take a position on our bill, and to date has allowed the Treasury Secretary to only gently seek a diplomatic response, which has failed time and again. History has taught us that diplomatic talk won't get China to act. We have to be forceful, stand up for American manufacturing, and be willing to tell our largest trading partner that what they are doing is illegal.

The truth is, President Obama is in a tough position - as we spend a record amount of government money on policies he has supported like bailouts and failed stimulus that haven't created jobs, it is China who continues to finance our debt. It is hard to give orders to those who are buying our Treasury bonds. Frankly, we will only find ourselves in a downward economic spiral unless we are willing to put our collective foot down and stand up for American jobs.

With the President's support, we can pressure the Senate to vote and finally enact the one policy our business leaders say will go a long way in growing our economy: hold China accountable.

Local Rally with Manufacturers

To bring greater attention to this issue leading up to the September 30th vote, I joined a number of our local manufacturers to rally support in favor of our bill. The event was covered by the Observer-Reporterand WDUQ.

Joel Ross, the President of Universal Electric Corp where our rally was held with approximately 100 employees, spoke about the difficulties for his company to compete against China's subsidized goods. Joel has been an outstanding leader on this issue, working along with the Coalition for a Prosperous America, to save American manufacturing jobs. He put it best in discussing how this issue hits home: "I want to have jobs for you guys, for your children and grandchildren and my grandchildren. I want to see the standard of living in America maintained."

Our bill would recognize currency manipulation as an unfair trade practice and empower companies like Joel's to take instances of illegally subsidized manufactured goods directly to the International Trade Commission. There, the case could be made for tariffs on these type of goods as a result of an artificially low currency.

National Association of Manufacturers Weighs in, Recognizing Our Efforts

During my tenure in Congress, I've consistently supported a pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda to advance the effort to maintain U.S. leadership in the global economy. The work we've been doing to grow local jobs, coupled with my voting record during the 111th Congress, has again earned me the NAM Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence! The NAM award is presented to Members of Congress who consistently support legislation to spur economic growth and job creation. NAM scores legislators based on a number of key votes including the healthcare "reform” and Cap and Trade bills, both of which I opposed. This award comes on the heels of recent endorsements from the US Chamber of Commerce and my earning the "Guardian of Small Business Award" from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). In this difficult economy, there is seemingly no greater recognition than that coming from those who America is counting on to create jobs and get our economy moving. I'm looking to forward to continuing to be a close partner in the next Congress!

Sincerely,

Tim Murphy



Posted by Tim Murphy
October 13, 2010 12:59 pm

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