2003 Year in Review

Manzullo Seeks to Continue Fight to Preserve U.S. Jobs,

ROCKFORD - Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) today announced he will seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004 in order to continue his fight to preserve manufacturing jobs in America and put people back to work in northern Illinois. Manzullo represents the 16th Congressional District of Illinois, which includes the counties of Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, JoDaviess, Ogle, Carroll, the majority of McHenry County, and portions of DeKalb and Whiteside counties.

Appointed by his colleagues to his second term as Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business earlier this year, Manzullo leads the battle in Congress to preserve the U.S. manufacturing base and help small businesses in America survive these difficult times. Recognized by CNN financial broadcaster Lou Dobbs as "a man who has been at the forefront of this battle's efforts on behalf of U.S. manufacturing," Manzullo has earned the reputation as Congress' champion of manufacturing and a fierce advocate for job creation in northern Illinois.

Manzullo's "Agenda to Restore Manufacturing in America" is a 7-point plan developed from the 49 full Small Business Committee hearings Manzullo chaired on the issue the past three years. Plan highlights include providing tax relief to companies which keep jobs in America; forcing China and the other East Asian countries to stop manipulating their currencies which cost American jobs; requiring the federal government to Buy American; rescinding the steel tariffs; reducing the surging cost of health care; expanding U.S. Small Business Administration programs to small manufacturers; and reforming U.S. export control policy. Additionally, Manzullo formed the bipartisan House Manufacturing Caucus, which has grown to 66 Members of Congress, in order to educate his colleagues on the challenges facing U.S. manufacturers.

As the House writes new corporate tax law to avoid sanctions from the World Trade Organization, Manzullo leads the fight against proposed legislation which would provide tax relief for U.S. corporations which operate overseas. At a time when many corporations are moving production - and jobs - offshore, Manzullo's competing legislation provides tax incentives to U.S. corporations who keep jobs in America. Manzullo and 24 Republican colleagues successfully headed off a vote on the international tax relief bill at the end of this congressional session. "Don Manzullo has some solutions that we're considering, and actually some pretty good ideas," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) said.

In addition to his national advocacy for U.S. manufacturers and America's 25 million small businesses, Manzullo has championed the needs of his constituents in northern Illinois and secured millions of dollars in congressional appropriations bills to create jobs in the district he represents.

Working with a coalition of local manufacturers, Illinois colleges and universities and our state's scientific community, Manzullo secured more than $5 million this year to create a high-tech Research and Development Manufacturing Technology Center in Rockford. The technology center will design the next generation of miniature machine tools which will build our nation's future combat systems. The Pentagon contract was bolstered by SBA funding which will allow the technology center to create commercial applications for the technology, creating endless opportunities for Rockford-area manufacturers. Manzullo also secured $1.5 million to develop the new Agriculture Technology Park in Belvidere, another high-tech center which will help entrepreneurs research new uses for farm products and bring them to market. In addition, Manzullo secured $1 million for the Burpee Museum and Paleontology Research Center to help the museum campus display its rare dinosaur, Jane, which will draw thousands to Rockford each year and create numerous jobs in the tourism industries. Manzullo also secured another $400,000 -- in addition to $1.5 million last year -- for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford to help expand its unique Rural Health Professions curriculum, which will draw students from across the world. In addition, he secured an additional $2 million this year to continue progress on the federal courthouse project in Rockford.

In his work to promote Rochelle's intermodal transportation hub and the numerous job opportunities it will create in Ogle County and beyond, Manzullo secured $2.2 million to help fund the infrastructure for the $181 million project. He fostered an agreement between the Army and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to clean up the 13,000-acre Savanna Army Depot in Carroll and Jo Daviess counties and transform it into a national wildlife refuge area and Bald Eagle nesting site. A portion of the land will be reserved for industrial uses, which will create thousands of jobs in northwestern Illinois.

ith more than 7,000 veterans calling Stephenson County home, Manzullo helped convince the Veterans Administration to locate a satellite medical clinic in Freeport. The new clinic, which will eliminate the need for veterans to drive to Rockford or Madison, Wisc. for routine medical care, is scheduled to open in June of 2004.

Manzullo also helped several environmental projects progress in northern Illinois. He secured $500,000 to help the tiny McHenry County community of Port Barrington build its own sewage system and prevent 70,000 gallons of raw sewage from flowing into the Fox River each day from residents' septic systems. In addition, Manzullo secured $200,000 for the DeKalb County community of Genoa to help fund a needed expansion of the town's sewage treatment plant, which is near capacity. Manzullo previously secured $1.5 million to help Galena replace its failing sewage system.

As a tremendous advocate for commuter air service in northern Illinois, Manzullo has helped secure more than $60 million during his time in Congress to fund improvements to the Greater Rockford Airport. Currently, Manzullo is working with airport and tourism officials on a possible deal with the Hungarian government to start international flights between Rockford and Europe. Manzullo also secured $200,000 this year to help fund a study of commuter rail options between the greater Rockford area and Chicago.

The new long-range federal highway funding bill will present opportunities for Manzullo to seek funding for high-priority road projects in 2004. This past year, Manzullo testified before his colleagues to seek funding for several road projects in northern Illinois -- the Route 20 expansion in Stephenson and JoDaviess counties; the Algonquin Road widening project in McHenry County; the Route 30 widening project in Whiteside County; and several road projects in Winnebago County.

Also next year, Manzullo will continue his fight to stop the hemorrhaging of manufacturing jobs in America. He will lead the charge in Washington to reward companies with tax relief for keeping work in the United States, instead of taking advantage of lower-paid workers overseas. He will also fight foreign trade abuses and promote legislation to reducing the surging cost of health care in America.

Congressman Manzullo has earned recognition as a "Taxpayer's Hero" from Citizens Against Government Waste, a "Taxpayer's Friend" by the National Taxpayers Union and a "Friend of Agriculture" by the Illinois Agriculture Association. He has also been called "Senior Friendly" by the 60 Plus Association, and received the "Guardian of Small Business Award" from the National Federation of Independent Business. He has received several endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
December 4, 2003