Let’s Put this Country Back to Work Create jobs, not talking points

In a joint session of Congress on September 8th, President Obama presented to the nation the American Jobs Act of 2011.

But as we continue to face an economic crisis that has left millions of our neighbors jobless, Americans continue to witness the sad spectacle of a political crisis that has made things worse.  For example, Rep. Michael Burgess (TX-26) in Denton County released a response the next day using Republican Party talking points that were written before the actual bill was released. The response from Rep. Kenny Marchant (TX-24) was to cosponsor H.R. 1167 (full text of the bill in PDF form), aiming to make it harder for unemployed Americans to receive aid for food.  The President is urging Congress to put aside partisan politics and pass this bill to get the economy moving.

The American Jobs Act is composed of five key components

President Barack Obama Speaking to Congress on Sep. 1st

President Barack Obama details the American Jobs Act of 2011 to a joint session of Congress (Image public domain)

that both Democrats and Republicans have supported in the past:

  • Tax Cuts to Help America’s Small Businesses Hire and Grow
  • Putting Workers Back on the Job While Rebuilding and Modernizing America
  • Pathways Back to Work for Americans Looking for Jobs
  • More Money in the Pockets of Every American Worker and Family
  • Fully Paid for as Part of the President’s Long-Term Deficit Reduction Plan

There is no reason to postpone approving the President’s plan.

The American people understand that this economic crisis wasn’t created overnight and won’t be solved overnight.  It took years of the wrong economic policies to put us in the situation we are in now, and it will take an ample dose of the right economic medicine to get the economy healthy once again.

The American Jobs Act, if approved by Congress, will have a positive impact in all 50 states.

In Texas:

  • 390,000 firms will receive a payroll tax cut under the President’s American Jobs Act.
  • the President’s plan will make immediate investments of at least $2,598,500,000 that could support a minimum of approximately 33,800 local jobs.
  • the President’s plan will help states and localities avoid and reverse layoffs now, and will provide $2,565,500,000 in funds to support up to 39,500 educators, cops and firefighters.
  • the President’s plan invests in school infrastructure and Texas will receive $2,332,100,000 in funding to support as many as 30,300 jobs.
  • the President’s plan to invest in a national effort to put construction workers could result in the state receiving about $114,100,000 to revitalize and refurbish local communities.
  • the President’s plan to invest in facilities modernization at community colleges could result in receiving $458,400,000 in funding in the next fiscal year for its community colleges.
  • the President’s sweeping reforms to the unemployment insurance (UI) system could help put the 329,000 long-term unemployed workers back to work.
  • the President’s call to extend unemployment insurance, will prevent 123,900 people looking for work from losing their benefits in just the first 6 weeks.
  • the President proposed new Pathways Back to Work Fund could place 8,700 adults and 29,200 youths in jobs in growth industries.
  • a typical household with a median income of around $47,000, will receive a tax cut of around $1,460 thanks to the President’s plan to expand the payroll tax cut passed last December.

The economic security of the middle class has been under attack for decades. This is a time to address the great urgency and need across the country, to stop playing politics, and work together for the American people.  Let’s put this country back to work.

Learn more about the American Jobs Act of 2011:

 

Related posts:

Sep 16, 2011 No Comments ›› admin