"When Congress returns in September, I want to move quickly on things that can create more jobs, right now" – these words were spoken by President Obama on August 5, 2011, announcing his intention to focus on job creation starting this month. While I’m glad the President recognizes the need to create jobs, I think we have heard this song and dance before.
In fact, since January 2009, the Administration has told the American people that it will create jobs. That jobs are its number one priority. That if we will just go a little deeper into debt to create jobs, we will lower unemployment.
Here we are two and a half years later, and the job situation has only become worse. While we were promised unemployment below 8 percent after the stimulus bill was passed, today it still hovers above 9.1 percent. Economists now forecast this rate is unlikely to fall back below 8 percent for a couple of years. For all the rhetoric coming out of the Administration on jobs, I haven’t seen any comprehensive plans to actually make it happen. There have been more promises and more calls to action. But, calls to action need to be followed by action.
House Republicans have acted to spur economic growth and job creation. We’ve produced an actual plan of action, called the Plan for America’s Job Creators, which you can view here. In this year alone, the House has passed at least 14 job creating bills. Only one of these has been considered by the Senate and signed into law by the President. Thirteen more are still awaiting action.
Our jobs bills empower small business owners by reducing the burden of onerous federal regulations. We’ve passed legislation requiring a review of the federal rulemaking process to ensure proper congressional oversight. We’ve passed legislation limiting the overreach of the Environmental Protection Agency. We’ve passed a bill reducing the regulations of Dodd-Frank that hinder economic growth and a bill disapproving of the FCC’s net neutrality regulations.
House Republicans eliminated oppressive paperwork requirements found in the health care law, one of our key campaign promises. The House has passed no less than five bills related to increasing sources of domestic energy, policies that allow us to harness our abundant supply of natural resources in America, develop new sources of energy, and create jobs here at home.
As Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee, I have offered comprehensive jobs legislation that would put our veterans back to work. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines returning from Afghanistan and Iraq face higher unemployment than the national average, and older veterans are faced with a changing job market. My Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act would enhance the Transition Assistance Program, improve access to Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits, strengthen the employment rights of National Guard and Reserve, and lower the licensing requirements for returning veterans already qualified in a particular field. I’ve also introduced legislation to provide a tax incentive to small businesses that hire and retain unemployed veterans.
Meanwhile, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to clamor for more stimulus that we simply cannot afford. At the beginning of July, the President’s press secretary told reporters that an unemployment insurance stimulus could create one million jobs, and I expect that we will hear the same political rhetoric during the President’s speech this Thursday. What the President repeatedly fails to understand is that we have been there, done that, and it didn’t work. It’s time for the Senate and the President to join us in promoting real job growth. When Congress reconvenes this week, the focus should be on jobs, just as it has been for House Republicans since the beginning of this Congress.
For a look at the jobs bills House Republicans have passed this year still awaiting Senate action, please visit our Jobs Tracker website.
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