2016 Elections: Congress Counts

Election Day 2016 is not just about the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. There are also races are happening across the country for seats in the House and Senate.  So what is at stake for the 115th Congress?

Control of the House and Senate is particularly valuable in this election year.  The next Congress may tackle tax reform, and many other issues critical to the manufacturing industry.

Here is the breakdown of our current Congress.  Going into Election Day 2016, Republicans have a majority in both the Senate and the House.
















Here is the latest data on how races are faring for these seats:























Current data seem to suggest that it is unlikely that the Democratic party will take back the House.  Still, there are about forty races that remain incredibly close. For the Senate, who takes control is still too close to call, but Democrats are within four or five seats of retaking control. In any event, a newfound Democratic majority would by no means be commanding since Democrats would under no plausible circumstance reach the 60 votes needed for a supermajority.

Before you vote, you can learn more about Congressional races in your state.  One Voice for Manufacturing – the combined advocacy effort of PMA and the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) – has a Members of Congress Scorecard which can help you track how your Member of Congress small and medium-sized manufacturers.  To enhance accuracy, the scorecard includes not only relevant votes but co-sponsorships on bills which many not have received a full vote.  To view the U.S. Senate Scorecard click here.  To view the U.S. House of Representatives Scorecard click here.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PMA and MetalForming Magazine Conference on ERP Software

Image
ERP software is changing the way companies do business.  ERP, enterprise-resource-planning, programs compile all of a company's data and processes into one system, an effort that saves time and money. Interested in learning more about how your business could benefit from ERP software?  Check out the PMA and MetalForming Magazine event on the technology in a few months in Cincinnati.  Read more in the press release below. PMA and MetalForming Magazine to Hold Conference on the Latest Developments in ERP Software     CLEVELAND, OH—July 23, 2013—The Precision Metalforming Association’s (PMA) flagship publication, MetalForming magazine, announces The Manufacturing ERP Experience, a conference that will provide information on the industry’s leading enterprise-resource-planning (ERP) software systems for small to midsized manufacturing companies.  The event is scheduled for October 8-9, 2013, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Modern ERP systems have changed how companies do business.
Read more

Annual Automotive Conference Moved to Virtual Format For 2020

Image
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, PMA is announcing today that the in-person 2020 Automotive Parts Suppliers Conference , originally scheduled to take place September 1-2 in Detroit, MI has been moved to a virtual only event on the same dates. This was not an easy decision, but, ultimately, the health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers and staff is our highest priority.  While we look forward to a time when we can be together again face-to-face, the PMA team has been working hard behind the scenes to transition this event and deliver tremendous automotive content and information that our industry needs. Registration for the virtual event is open, and you can view the updated agenda here and list of speakers here .  We look forward to seeing you virtually in September. 
Read more

New Steel Tariffs on Brazil and Argentina?

President Trump announced via tweet on Monday that he was imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Brazil and Argentina due to both governments devaluating their currencies. These two countries previously had reached a deal with the Trump administration to avoid Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs by agreeing to quotas. Both Argentina and Brazil were exempted from the 232 steel and aluminum tariffs in May 2018. The tariffs can’t be “restored” because the two countries were not subject to tariffs in the first place. The exemptions for both countries required Presidential Proclamations, and to change the quotas to tariffs would require new proclamations as tariffs can’t be re-imposed by a tweet. At this writing, we are still awaiting these proclamations. If the President does move forward with these tariffs, it would likely lead to an immediate legal challenge. A current U.S. Court of International Trade case (Transpacific Steel v U.S.) is focused on this exact issue of
Read more