August 9, 2010--Ivy, VA--State Senator Robert Hurt has pledged to Washington special interest groups to oppose an aid package that will save 439 teacher jobs in the 5th district. He has also discussed his desire to abolish the Department of Education, even recently pledging to formal rival Jim McKelvey to "cut or eliminate funding to government agencies," such as the Department of Education. 

August 5, 2010--Jessica Barba, spokeswoman for the Perriello campaign, issued the following statement in response to the news that Jim McKelvey has endorsed Robert Hurt on the basis of 12 pledges: 

"First, Senator Hurt pledged away his independence to Washington corporate interest groups in order to become the lobbyists’ candidate. Now, Jim McKelvey reveals a dozen more secret promises that this career politician made in backrooms, including a promise to abolish the Department of Education and vote against bills that fund our military and veterans. Who knows what else he'll be pledging tonight in the secret Tea Party meeting? We won't know -- because instead of talking straight to voters in a televised debate, Robert Hurt favors back-room deals, as all career politicians do." 

Republican opposition kills bill that would reduce red tape for small businesses, eliminate tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas

Washington, D.C.—Rep. Tom Perriello again stood up for American workers today by voting for H.R. 5982, a bill that would have created and protected American construction and manufacturing jobs by closing the tax loopholes that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas. The bill also helped small businesses by repealing certain expenditure reporting requirements that would have been overly burdensome. This was a fully paid-for bill to benefit the middle and working class, but the bill failed to pass the House after Republicans chose to stand with corporations that outsource jobs.

“I thought I'd seen the worst case of partisanship beating common sense, but this may take the cake. Here we had a chance to remove a major regulatory burden on small business and close a horrible tax loophole that sends American jobs to foreign soil. The Republicans said they supported both parts, but just didn't want to let us get something real done for the American people. It’s outrageous that Republicans decided to score political points at the expense of American workers and small businesses,” said Rep. Perriello.

August 2, 2010--Ivy, VA--Again changing his position on debates, State Senator Robert Hurt has backed out of a pair of televised debates that include the 10% polling standard he himself had demanded for independent candidate Jeffrey Clark to participate. Sen. Hurt has suffered recent criticism for supporting massive free trade plans that ship jobs overseas and opposing an extension of unemployment benefits. Hurt faces continuing opposition from conservatives within his own party for changing his position on 28 different tax or fee increases totaling over $2 billion.

Hurt initially said he was willing to debate Perriello and independent candidate Jeffrey Clark but quickly flipped his position to oppose such debates. His campaign then demanded that Clark show at least 10% in public polling in order to be included and now, he has changed his position yet again and refuses such a debate.

Two Perriello co-sponsored bills pass as part of "Make it in America" initiative

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. House of Representatives today passed three more bills to create jobs and support American manufacturing as part of House Democrats’ new “Make it in America” initiative. The House passed the National Manufacturing Strategy Act and the End the Trade Deficit Act, both co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Perriello, as well as the Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act. These bills will promote the competitiveness of the American manufacturing sector and support the millions of American jobs in manufacturing. All three bills passed with wide bipartisan support.

“After more than a year of fighting for a plan to boost American manufacturing and construction, I am glad to see the House pass the first major pieces of the ‘Make it in America’ agenda. We must start making, building, and growing things in America, so I’m glad to see progress towards a National Manufacturing Strategy and the End the Trade Deficit Act,” said Rep. Perriello. “A strong manufacturing sector puts Americans back to work, and if we level the playing field with China, Americans will win. I never expected there would be so much resistance in Washington to supporting the American worker, but we are overcoming that to produce a path to progress for American jobs.”