Sen. Moreno Introduces Bill To Penalize Companies Outsourcing Jobs Abroad

Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno has introduced legislation that would punish companies outsourcing jobs overseas while directing revenue toward American job creation programs.

The measure, unveiled Friday and titled the “Halting International Relocation of Employment Act” (HIRE Act), establishes a 25% tax on “outsourcing payments,” defined as money paid by U.S. businesses or taxpayers to foreign workers providing services to American consumers.

The bill also includes safeguards against tax loopholes through U.S. territories and mandates full disclosure of all outsourcing contracts and payments. In addition, businesses would be barred from deducting these outsourcing expenses.

Funds collected through the new tax would be directed toward U.S. apprenticeship initiatives and workforce development efforts aimed at strengthening domestic employment opportunities.

If passed by the Republican-led Congress and signed by the Republican president, the legislation would further restrict companies from categorizing outsourcing payments as base erosion payments when calculating the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax.

“While college grads in America struggle to find work, globalist politicians and C-Suite executives have spent decades shipping good-paying jobs overseas in pursuit of slave wages and immense profits! those days are over,” Moreno told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Moreno, who was sworn into office on January 3, added, “It’s time to fight for working class Americans and ensure they can work and retire with dignity. If companies want to hire foreign workers instead of Americans, my bill will hit them where it hurts: their pocketbooks.”

The proposal comes as the Trump administration emphasizes its focus on jobs for U.S.-born citizens. Fox Business reported last month that American-born employment rose by nearly 2 million over the past year, while jobs held by foreign-born workers declined, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Between July 2024 and July 2025, the number of foreign-born individuals employed in the U.S. dropped by 452,000, falling from 32,518,000 to 32,066,000; a 1.39% decrease.