2014: Schweikert Voted Against Barring The Energy Department And Related Agencies From Awarding Contracts To Bermuda Or Cayman Island-Incorporated Companies Previously Incorporated In The United States. In July 2014, Schweikert voted against an amendment to the FY 2015 Energy-Water Appropriations bill, which, according to Congressional Quarterly, "would bar the use of funds provided in the bill for awarding contracts to corporations chartered or incorporated in Bermuda or the Cayman Islands that were previously incorporated in the United States." The House agreed to the amendment by a vote of 221 to 200. Subsequently, the passed House the amended bill; but it died in the Senate. [House Vote 387, 7/10/14; Congressional Quarterly, 7/10/14; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 1012; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4923]
Amendment Sponsor Argued Companies That Claimed To Be American When Receiving Federal Contracts Should Not Get To Claim Differently When Paying Taxes. According to the Congressional Record, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the amendment's sponsor, said, "My amendment would prohibit Federal contracts issued by agencies under the jurisdiction of this bill from going to entities incorporated in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, the two nations most often abused as tax havens. This body has accepted similar provisions for the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. As before, we should not spend taxpayer money on Federal contracts that go to companies that have renounced their American citizenship in favor of an island tax haven. Just this week, Business Week wrote an article examining the loopholes that longstanding American companies like Ingersol Rand, which was founded in Connecticut in 1871, have been exploiting in order to enjoy lucrative government contracts while pretending to reside overseas for tax purposes. [...] These firms simply should not be allowed to pretend they are an American company when it comes time to get contracts, then claim to be an offshore company when the tax bill arrives." [Congressional Record, 7/10/14]
Opponent Argued Amendment's Significant Changes In Current U.S. Policy Should Be Examined By The Relevant Congressional Committees. According to the Congressional Record, House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee chairman Mike Simpson (R-ID) said, "The Financial Services Appropriations bill has carried language for years which prohibits funding for any Federal Government contract with foreign incorporated entities which are treated as inverted domestic corporations. This language has been carried annually in the government-wide General Provisions section of the Financial Services Appropriations bill since approximately 2005 and is requested annually by the current administration. The changes which this amendment would propose to make could have significant consequences and really should be handled by the proper tax committees. The changes which this amendment would propose to make could have significant consequences and really should be handled by the proper tax committees." [Congressional Record, 7/10/14]
2014: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against Denying Companies That Outsource Jobs Out Of The US From Receiving Defense Department Contracts. In May 2014, Schweikert effectively voted against an amendment that, according to the Congressional Record, would have barred the Defense Department from "enter[ing] into any contract with an entity if the entity [...] has outsourced work previously performed in the United States." The amendment stated that "the term 'outsourced', with respect to an entity with employees performing work in the United States, means having fewer full-time equivalent employees in the United States and a larger number of such employees outside the United States on the last day of the calendar year compared to the first day of such calendar year." In addition to the outsourcing prohibition, the proposed amendment to the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization bill would have ordered the Defense Department to require that any new department contracts set the minimum wage for any work performed on that contract at $10.10 an hour in 2015; required the Defense Secretary to ensure that women serving in the military are not discriminated against in combat or other military service; and forbidden the Defense Department from contracting with companies that do not provide their female employees with equal pay for equal work. It would also have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require[d] the Defense Department's inspector general to investigate interest and fees charged on student loans made to members of the armed forces. It also would bar air carriers from charging fees for baggage checked by members of the armed forces who are deploying, returning, or traveling on official military orders." The vote was on a motion to recommit the underlying bill with instructions to report it back with the specified amendment; the House rejected the motion by a vote of 194 to 227. [House Vote 239, 5/22/14; Congressional Record, 5/22/14; Executive Order 13658, as published in the Federal Register, 2/20/14; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/14; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4435]