Editing Eric Cantor (section)

===Economy, budgeting, and trade===
Cantor was a supporter of [[free trade]], voting to promote trade with [[Peru]], [[Chile]], Singapore, and Australia. He also voted for the [[Central America Free Trade Agreement]] (CAFTA). He voted against raising the [[minimum wage]] to US$7.25 in 2007. The [[American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations]] (AFL–CIO), the largest federation of trade unions in the United States, rates Cantor 0%, indicating an anti-Union voting record.

In October 2008, Cantor advocated and voted for the [[Troubled Asset Relief Program|TARP]] program which aided distressed banks.<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/roll_call.php?chamber=house&year=2008&roll=681
  |access-date=May 9, 2012
  |title=Roll Call Number 681. Description: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 – Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) Question: On Motion to Concur in Senate Amendments Bill Number: H R 1424 Date: 3 October 2008
  |website=PoliGu.com The Political Guide
  |archive-date=October 9, 2011
  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009002629/http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/roll_call.php?chamber=house&year=2008&roll=681
  |url-status=usurped
  }}</ref>

On September 29, 2008, Cantor blamed Pelosi for what he felt was the failure of the [[Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008|$700&nbsp;billion economic bailout bill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/09/29/house-republicans-blame-pelosis-speech/|title= House Republicans Blame Pelosi's Speech |work=Wall Street Journal – Washington Wire|date= September 29, 2008|access-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref> He noted that 94 Democrats voted against the measure, as well as 133 Republicans. Though supporting the Federal bailout of the nation's largest private banks, he referred to Pelosi's proposal to appoint a [[Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry|Car czar]] to run the [[Automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010|US Automobile Industry Bailout]] as a "bureaucratic" imposition on private business.<ref name=Rogers2008>
 {{cite web|url=http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=270246C3-18FE-70B2-A8B3E54DBD153865 |title=Bailout backers try to make a deal |access-date=December 14, 2008 | first=David |last=Rogers |date=December 11, 2008 |work= Politico.com |quote=Yet in the House debate across the Capitol, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) derided the czar as an unneeded "bureaucratic" imposition on private business. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214170055/http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=270246C3-18FE-70B2-A8B3E54DBD153865 |archive-date=December 14, 2008 }}</ref>

The following February, Cantor led Republicans in the House of Representatives in voting against the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]]<ref name= "thecaucus">{{cite news|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/the-sunday-word-sifting-through-the-stimulus/?scp=4&sq=eric%20cantor&st=cse|title=The Sunday Word: Sifting Through the Stimulus|last=Falcone|first=Michael|date=February 15, 2009|work=The Caucus|access-date=April 13, 2010}}</ref> and was a prominent spokesman in voicing the many issues he and his fellow Republicans had with the legislation. Cantor voted in favor of a 90% marginal tax rate increase on taxpayer financed bonuses,<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/business/20bailout.html?pagewanted=2 | title=House Approves 90% Tax on Bonuses After Bailouts | work=The New York Times | date=March 19, 2009 | access-date=March 22, 2009 | first1=Carl | last1=Hulse | first2=David M. | last2=Herszenhorn}}</ref> despite receiving campaign contributions from [[Troubled Assets Relief Program|TARP]] recipient [[Citigroup]].<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.newsweek.com/id/190363 | title= Follow the Bailout Cash | work= [[Newsweek]] | date=March 21, 2009 | access-date=March 22, 2009}}</ref>

In his book ''Young Guns'', Cantor summarized [[Keynesian economics]] with the following opinion, "The idea is that the government can be counted on to spend more wisely than the people."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cantor| first1=Eric|last2 =Ryan| first2=Paul| last3= McCarthy| first3= Kevin| title=Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781451607345|url-access=registration| publisher=Threshold Editions| year= 2010 | page= [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781451607345/page/46 46]| isbn=9781451607345}}</ref>

As majority leader, Cantor steered the [[STOCK Act]] through the House, which requires congressmen to disclose their stock investments more regularly and in a more transparent manner.<ref>{{cite web|last= Schroeder |first=Peter |url=http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/1007-other/217659-lawmakers-hit-bipartisan-note-following-stock-act-passage |title=Lawmakers hit bipartisan note following STOCK Act passage – The Hill's on the Money |website=TheHill.com |date=March 22, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327013019/http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/1007-other/217659-lawmakers-hit-bipartisan-note-following-stock-act-passage |archive-date= March 27, 2012  }}</ref> The legislation passed the House in a 417–2 bipartisan vote on February 9, 2012.  It was ultimately signed by President Obama on April 4, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll047.xml|title= FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 47| website= house.gov}}</ref> In July 2012, CNN reported that changes made by the House version of the legislation excluded reporting requirements by spouses and dependent children.  Initially, Cantor's office insisted it did nothing to change the intent of the STOCK Act; however, when presented with new information from CNN, the majority leader's office recognized that changes had unintentionally been made and offered technical corrections to fulfill the original intent of the legislation.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/19/politics/stock-act-loophole/index.html | title= Congressional insider trading ban might not apply to families | publisher=CNN | date=July 19, 2012}}</ref> These corrections were passed by Congress on August 3, 2012.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/08/03/Congress-closes-STOCK-Act-loophole/UPI-38821344006071/ | title=Congress closes STOCK Act loophole | work=United Press International | date= August 3, 2012}}</ref>

As majority leader, Cantor shepherded the JOBS Act through the House, which combined bipartisan ideas for economic growth – like crowdfunding for startups – into one piece of legislation.  Ultimately, President Obama, Eric Cantor, Steve Case and other leaders joined together at the signing ceremony.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/04/eric-cantor-to-attend-jobs-act-signing-119290.html | title=Eric Cantor to make rare appearance with Obama for JOBS Act signing | work=Politico | date=April 1, 2012}}</ref>

Cantor proposed initiatives which he purported would help small businesses grow, including
a 20 percent tax cut for businesses that employ fewer than 500 people.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72301.html | title= Republican agenda: Small business tax cut | publisher=Politico | date=February 1, 2012 | first1=Jake | last1=Sherman | access-date= February 1, 2012}}</ref>