Blumenthal Statement on President’s Job Address to Joint Session of Congress(Washington, DC) – Senator Richard Blumenthal released the following statement tonight after President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress to propose the American Jobs Act:
“The President’s jobs proposal will be crucial to putting Americans back to work, helping small businesses grow, and strengthening our country’s infrastructure. I am encouraged that the President is putting job creation at the top of his agenda in this Administration. Congress must now act with a sense of urgency to address the unacceptably high unemployment rate, which is why I have proposed a bill in the Senate to create a Joint Select Committee on Job Creation, helping ensure that creating jobs, fostering economic growth, and reducing the high unemployment rate is at the top of the Senate’s agenda. People in Connecticut and across the country have long realized that the best way to shrink our deficit and put our economy back on track is to help hard-working Americans find good-paying jobs, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get our economy moving again.”
Statement from Senator Robert Menendez on President's American Jobs ActWASHINGTON – US Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) released the following statement regarding President Obama’s joint address to Congress:
“I hope all Americans had the opportunity to watch the President’s speech tonight as he addressed the most important issue facing our country: the need for jobs.
The President’s American Jobs Act will combine tax relief, unemployment insurance and smart investment to create jobs, boost our economy, and put money back in the pockets of middle class Americans. That’s exactly what our states, communities, businesses and families need.
It will put people back to work – like teachers and first responders in NJ who lost their jobs due to budget cuts, and construction workers who are ready to begin rebuilding our roads and bridges. It will provide tax cuts for our small businesses and an unemployment extension for our workers.
This package will not add a dime to the deficit and should be supported by both parties. In fact, some of the proposals are actually Republican ideas.
The President’s proposal is in line with what I’ve been hearing from people across New Jersey. They want to get back to work. And they want Washington to get to work on a real plan to get our economy moving again.
This debate about jobs is not about politics; it’s about people – their lives, their hopes, their dreams for a better, more secure life for themselves and their families.
Democrats are working to get results for those families and we hope some of our Republican colleagues will join us because it’s time to do our jobs so the American people can get back to work.”
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin Backs American Jobs Act“I commend President Obama for his bold proposal to get Americans back to work and put the country on the road to recovery. This is the number one issue on the minds of all Americans, and I am pleased that the President’s plan will translate directly into more jobs for Vermonters. The American Jobs Act will give Vermont families and small businesses the economic relief they desperately need while putting more Vermonters back to work, including teachers, veterans, construction workers and first responders.
“Vermonters need bold and decisive action from their leaders now more than ever, and I urge Congress to put aside partisan bickering and come together for the good of the nation to pass this jobs bill and get Americans back to work.”
Senator Tom Harkin Backs American Jobs ActWASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) tonight issued the following statement after President Obama addressed Congress on the need to put America back to work. Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that funds education and labor initiatives. He has fought to prevent massive layoffs of American teachers and is leading the effort in Congress to rebuild the middle class in America.
“Traveling in Iowa this summer it was abundantly clear that the number one issue impacting Americans is not the budget deficit, but a far more urgent deficit: the jobs deficit. By all means, we need to agree on necessary spending cuts and tax increases to bring deficits under control in the longer term. But in the short term, we need a robust federal agenda to boost the economy and create jobs.
“I am encouraged that the President’s proposal goes to the heart of that effort by investing in the jobs that sustain a strong middle class. In particular, new funding he proposed for educator jobs will keep teachers in the classrooms. This echoes a bill that I pushed through Congress last year to provide $10 billion to keep teachers on the job in the face of deep cuts to state budgets.
“The President’s call to renovate our schools is a win-win for our economy and for our children. Kids cannot be expected to reach their full potential if the school they attend is crumbling around them. And my experience in Iowa in providing funding to renovate our schools shows that every dollar in federal funds that is provided for school construction leverages an additional four dollars in funding from other sources, creating jobs and economic growth.
“And I was pleased to see he proposed ramping up federal investments in infrastructure to boost U.S. competitiveness and create construction jobs. As the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates, America faces a $2.2 trillion infrastructure backlog and they are correct to say that “we are still driving on Eisenhower’s roads and sending our kids to Roosevelt’s schools.” His proposal also offers assistance so that the long-term unemployed can support their families while they continue to look for work.
“As we move forward, we must also address the fact that two-thirds of adults with disabilities are not working. In the HELP Committee, I intend to continue to hold hearings on the best way to address this issue.
“Now that this proposal has been unveiled, I encourage the President to use the bully pulpit and fight to get it passed. Where necessary, draw a sharp contrast to those who offer only obstruction and do-nothingism. It’s time to break up the gridlock in Washington and put America back to work. The future of our middle class – and our economy – depends on it.”
Representative John Lewis Backs American Jobs ActRep. John Lewis made these comments in response to President Obama’s speech tonight during a joint session of the U.S. Congress on jobs:
“I think President Obama delivered a great speech tonight. He reached the soul of America and acknowledged the pain and struggles so many of us are facing. He let the American people know he has heard their cries for help. Tonight he offered credible, legislative action that Congress can implement to help resolve our problems. His speech was bold, thoughtful, and inspiring.
“I know many will say the proposal is too expensive, but he said it can all be paid for if we are willing to insure that everyone pays their fair share and take steps to reform government where change is needed. Our problems are massive, and they will take massive intervention to resolve. We cannot do it on the cheap, and we cannot shrink in fear, as Chairman Bernanke warned against today. Cutting is not the only solution. We must take action, and the President offered us a plan of action tonight.
“It was also important that the President reminded us not to use economic turmoil ‘as an excuse to wipe out basic protections’ that have defined the American way of life for decades. We must rise to the occasion, challenge ourselves as a nation and challenge this Congress to make the hard choices and the critical compromises that create the climate and environment for growth. We must put partisanship aside and do what is right for the American people.
“I was gratified to hear that the President will go on the road and reach out to every corner of America to enlist the support of the American people in this debate. The President cannot do it alone. He has the power to build the kind of consensus that can re-energize, reform, and rebuild our economy. But he needs the support of Congress, of the American people, and the business community to make a difference. And we should give him that support.”
Gillibrand Statement On President Obama’s Address To Nation On Jobs Proposals Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement tonight after President Obama addressed the nation on proposals to create jobs.
“Tonight was a call to action from the President. Congress must rally around bold new ideas that encourage businesses to hire Americans who are ready to work, and ideas that unlock the full potential of American innovation, entrepreneurship and hard work.
“I’ve traveled throughout New York State this summer, hearing from small business owners and everyday families. I can tell you, they want Democrats and Republicans to work together to once and for all address this crisis, and create new jobs. They are tired of the same old political fights, and with good reason. Old fights won’t solve new problems. Americans deserve better from Congress.
“If we’re going to create new jobs and a thriving middle class that is prepared for the new economy, we can’t think small. We need big ideas met with good faith and common purpose from both parties in Congress.”
Merkley Statement on President’s Jobs Speech“Everyone in Washington should be focused on creating jobs, and I applaud President Obama for laying out a bold plan to tackle unemployment. We need aggressive action to put people back to work.
“There is a lot to like in the President’s plan. Improving our transportation sector and other infrastructure can be an engine for job creation now, with over a million unemployed construction workers looking to get back to work, while at the same time making investments we will need to make for the long term. Updating our nation’s crumbling public schools is another common-sense way to improve safety while putting our hardest-hit workers back on the job.
“I am also glad to see the President recognize that foreclosures and a weak housing market are hurting our families and our economic recovery. This recession started with collapse of the housing market and won’t end in earnest until we address the foreclosure crisis.
“Tonight the President put the focus where it should have been all along: Jobs. Congress must act quickly and boldly. American families are counting on us.”
Boxer Statement on President Obama's Jobs SpeechWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Boxer (D-CA) issued the following statement after President Obama's jobs speech tonight:
"The President's plan for immediate job creation is the recipe we need to reinvigorate our economy. In Harry Truman-style – straight from the heart – the President was both inspirational and specific.
"I particularly support his call for rebuilding our deficient roads, bridges and schools and for helping homeowners refinance – issues that I have been working with my Republican colleagues to address.
"I will work on a bipartisan basis to pass the American Jobs Act."
Statement from Senator Coons on President Obama’s plan for job creation“With our nation mired in a jobs crisis, I was pleased to hear President Obama lay out his strategy for helping the millions of Americans looking for work. I strongly support many of the ideas he proposed tonight, including significant investments in America’s aging infrastructure, additional support for small businesses, and a specific focus on helping our veterans find work.
“I was proud to see my Senate colleagues cast votes in favor of final passage of the America Invents Act just hours before the President’s speech tonight. The sweeping changes to our nation’s patent system that it makes will help create jobs in Delaware and throughout the country, which is why I cosponsored the measure and worked aggressively for its passage. That this legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support is a hopeful sign that both parties will come together and work with President Obama to address our jobs crisis.
“As I said last week while releasing my own legislative strategy for job creation, there is no shortage of good ideas, only a lack of political will to act. The President laid out a clear challenge tonight, insisting that Republicans put the American economy ahead of partisan ideology. I agree. Congressional Republicans must step up and support these aggressive measures to help businesses create jobs and restore American competitiveness.”
REP. BECERRA: TIME TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST DEFICIT WE FACE—THE JOBS DEFICIT WASHINGTON, DC—Following President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on job creation, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, released the following statement:
"President Obama is right to focus the nation's attention on the biggest deficit we face—the jobs deficit. How can we expect to balance the nation's checkbook when 14 million Americans are out of work and having a hard time balancing theirs?
History has shown that when you invest in America by building up our schools and building out our infrastructure you create jobs and economic growth that pay the nation back many times over. And when you plant the seed of confidence in American businesses to invest in more American workers, then we can once again say that we will make it in America.
Let's prove the cynics and naysayers wrong and support President Obama's effort to create jobs in America."
Wyden Statement on The President’s American Jobs ActWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to the President’s American Jobs Act:
“As we heard from the President tonight, there is no silver bullet for economic recovery. It is a fight to be fought on several fronts and to be successful we must make strides toward putting Americans back to work rebuilding crumbling transportation infrastructure, improving our manufacturing by getting tough on trade cheats and making the tax code simpler and fairer for American businesses and families. I believe that this bill is a step toward those goals and I look forward to working with the President and my Congressional colleagues to improve on it.”
Whitehouse Statement on President’s Jobs SpeechWashington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below following President Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress, during which he proposed the American Jobs Act – a new plan to boost job creation:
“Tonight, President Obama outlined a much-needed plan to spur job growth in America. I was especially pleased to hear the President call for tax incentives for businesses that hire, which is something I’ve been fighting for. I’ve heard from Rhode Island business owners who are looking to expand, but just aren’t sure they can afford to do so, and these tax incentives could make a real difference. I also enthusiastically support the President’s call for investing in our transportation infrastructure to create good construction jobs, and for efforts to help our troops to find work after they return from combat.
“Tonight’s speech was a positive step, but getting this legislation passed will require a sustained effort by the President and Congress. Rhode Islanders I’ve heard from want us to create jobs now. We can’t let this proposal get bogged down by the same old Washington delay tactics. I'll keep fighting for Rhode Islanders who are struggling in this tough economy.”
Earlier this year Whitehouse introduced the Job Creation Tax Credit Act, which would offer employers a refundable tax credit for hiring unemployed workers, and has been an enthusiastic proponent of upgrading America’s roads, bridges, waterworks, and other infrastructure. President Obama’s plan includes a version of the Job Creation Tax Credit Act, calling for a $4,000 tax credit to employers for hiring long-term unemployed workers.
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