Bernie Shames Trump, Then Brings Up The ‘Outsourcing Prevention Act’ Like A Boss [Opinion]
President-elect Trump got “berned” on Thursday by America’s favorite gentleman from Vermont, Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders wrote an op-ed piece that was featured in the Washington Post in which he shamed President-elect Trump’s Carrier deal. Sanders pointed out that Trump insisted that he was going to play hardball with big companies like Carrier, but didn’t follow through with his promise.
Sanders used the Carrier deal to hint at how he intends to introduce legislation, not just promises, that could actually make America great again. Bernie’s working on a bill called the “Outsourcing Prevention Act.” Of course, when The Hill reported on Sanders’ op-ed, it focused entirely on Bernie Sanders’ shaming of Trump, and completely neglected to mention the Outsourcing Prevention Act. So, if one were to read only the article in The Hill about Sanders’ op-ed in the Washington Post, it appears as though Sanders is just being a Negative Nancy. That’s not the case though. Sanders has a plan.
If Trump finds it too hard to stand up to corporations by himself, Sanders will make it much easier for him. The new legislation would indirectly make Trump keep his promise to bring jobs back to the United States.
As for the Carrier deal, Sanders argued that it could actually end up costing America jobs in the long run. Trump once said he would impose steep tariffs on companies that leave the United States only to turn around and sell foreign-made products back to Americans. Yet, the first chance that he had to prove himself, Trump caved, Sanders wrote.
“He was insisting on very steep tariffs for companies like Carrier that left the United States and wanted to sell their foreign-made products back in the United States. Instead of a damn tax, the company will be rewarded with a damn tax cut. Wow! How’s that for standing up to corporate greed? How’s that for punishing corporations that shut down in the United States and move abroad?”
United Technologies is the corporation that owns air conditioning manufacturer Carrier. Trump’s deal means that nearly 1,000 jobs will stay in America that were scheduled to be transferred to Mexico. That’s great for the 1,000 families, Bernie Sanders wrote. In the long run though, Trump’s deal is more like giving a screaming toddler a sucker at the grocery store. The toddler behaves temporarily, but of course, quickly learns how to get a sucker.
Carrier still moving 1300 jobs to Mexico and getting $7M in tax breaks to keep 1K jobs in Indiana. So much winning. https://t.co/8AUHhhgwsY
— Ben White (@EconomyBen) December 1, 2016
Sanders wrote that United Technologies “took Trump hostage and won,” and added, “And that should send a shock wave of fear through all workers across the country.” As the deal stands, just under 1,000 of the 2,100 American jobs will stay in the United States.
“Let’s be clear: It is not good enough to save some of these jobs,” Sanders wrote. “Trump made a promise that he would save all of these jobs, and we cannot rest until an ironclad contract is signed to ensure that all of these workers are able to continue working in Indiana without having their pay or benefits slashed.”
Sen. Sanders wrote that those steep tariffs that Trump said he would be imposing on companies like Carrier will not come to pass. Instead, Trump will give the company tax and regulatory favors for promising to keep some jobs in the United States. So, while Trump gets lots of publicity, because he was able to keep some jobs in Indianapolis, Indiana, other companies will look at this and see exactly what they have to do to “get a sucker” too.
Trump's Carrier deal shows corporations they can:
? Threaten to outsource jobs
? Actually outsource jobs
? Still get a tax cut— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 1, 2016
Sanders said that Trump has now endangered workers whose jobs were previously safe, because Trump has made it clear that they can threaten to send jobs overseas in exchange for business-friendly tax benefits and incentives. You know, “Give me a sucker, or I’ll scream!”
.@realDonaldTrump promised to tax Carrier. Instead of a "damn tax," they get a damn tax cut. How’s that for standing up to corporate greed? pic.twitter.com/tzKNxNQxeP
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 1, 2016
Sanders made it clear that he has no sympathy for United Technologies, because it made a $7.6 billion profit last year and received more than $6 billion in defense contracts. Not only that, but the corporation’s highest-paid executives earned over $50 million. Sanders even claims, “The firm also spent $12 billion to inflate its stock price instead of using that money to invest in new plants and workers.”
As Inquisitr reported, Bernie Sanders had already advised Trump on how to handle the Carrier deal.
“We cannot rest until United Technologies signs a firm contract to keep all of these good-paying jobs in Indiana without slashing the salaries or benefits workers have earned. I call on Mr. Trump to make it clear to the CEO of United Technologies that if his firm wants to receive another defense contract from the taxpayers of this country, it must not move these plants to Mexico.”
The defense contracts were a consequence worth billions of dollars that Trump could have stood firm on to keep all of the jobs in the United States, Sanders believes.
“I said I would work with Trump if he was serious about the promises he made to members of the working class. But after running a campaign pledging to be tough on corporate America, Trump has hypocritically decided to do the exact opposite,” Sanders wrote. “He wants to treat corporate irresponsibility with kid gloves. The problem with our rigged economy is not that our policies have been too tough on corporations; it’s that we haven’t been tough enough.”
Sanders says that if companies want to move factories outside of the United States, they must pay an outsourcing tax that is equal to the amount of money that company will save by moving factories to Mexico or other countries that pay workers low wages. Sanders also said that these corporations need to pay back any “corporate welfare” they have received from the government.
Sanders explained that since Trump won’t stand firm, he will. Sanders asked for America to support his upcoming U.S. Senate legislation. Bernie Sanders has strongly opposed sending manufacturing jobs overseas for decades. One of most Berniecrats’ favorite Sanders-related flashback videos is the one where Bernie stood up to Alan Greenspan over the outsourcing of American jobs.
The Outsourcing Prevention Act apparently threatens the corporate elite so much that Forbes has already begun attacking Sanders over semantics. The average working American doesn’t care about semantics of legislation. They want the government to work for the people. They want to have access to jobs with which they can support their families.
Millions of Americans see Bernie Sanders as one of the few politicians still fighting for them, and the phrase “Outsourcing Prevention Act” is soon going to roll off the tongues of both the working class and progressive voters as easily as the phrase “Citizens United.”
For Bernie Sanders‘ Outsourcing Prevention Act to pass, however, the working class and progressive voters are going to have to stand up and demand it.
[Featured Image by Susan Walsh/AP Photo]
