‘To the Republicans in the Senate We Say: Show Us the Jobs!’
June 25th, 2010 by KarinaYesterday, Speaker Pelosi, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, Chairwoman Barbara Lee, Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, Congresswoman Susan Davis, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and dozens of Democratic women Members of Congress held a press conference on the East Front Steps of the Capitol to urge Senate Republicans to stop blocking job creation legislation:
As Speaker Pelosi explained:
We have a special responsibility. It's a responsibility we carry every day — to create jobs, to broaden the prosperity of America to include everyone in our country. We come here in the spirit of unity to create jobs, but also with a spirit of disappointment in the Republicans in the United States Senate.
Time and time again, Democrats in the House have sent legislation to the Senate to create jobs. What is it that the middle-class — what did middle-class families ever do to Republicans in the Senate that they would snuff out every opportunity for job creation that has been sent to them? Why can't they develop any ideas of their own to create jobs? Why can't they give a glimmer of hope to America's working families — to some who have jobs, but fear losing them, to some who want better jobs, to some who are concerned about their children or their neighbors or other family members being able to get a job?
And so here we are again — we sent a jobs bill in December. They did not pass it. Now we're sending it another jobs bill to them. And we hope that they will act upon it. But so far, they have said 'no' — they have said 'no' when we have talked repeatedly. When we have talked about summer jobs, the Republicans have said 'no.' When we talked about tax breaks to unleash billions of jobs in research and development, Republicans have said 'no.'
Last night the Senate Republicans once again voted down the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, a bill the House passed 28 days ago to close tax loopholes that reward those who ship American jobs overseas and help create or save more than a million American jobs by:
restoring credit to small businesses
extending tax incentives for American R&D and energy
rebuilding American infrastructure
expanding summer jobs for young people
providing tax relief for middle class American families
Learn more about other jobs bills the Democratic-led House has passed that the Senate has yet to act upon:
SMALL BUSINESS JOBS AND CREDIT ACT
Establishes a $30 billion lending fund for community banks to deliver loans to small business needed on Main Street to push the recovery on and create jobs
Invests in innovative state small business lending programs and provides tax incentives to spur investment in small businesses and the formation of new small businesses
Restarts private investment to meet small businesses' evolving financing needs through a new SBA public-private partnership
Fully paid for, with the small business lending fund saving taxpayers $1 billion as banks are expected to repay funds over 10 years
Provides immediate incentives for consumers to make their homes more energy-efficient:
Creating 168,000 jobs in construction, manufacturing, and retail — some of the hardest hit sectors by the Bush recession
Cutting energy costs by up to $500 per year for 3 million families
Reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and dirty fuels
Our innovation agenda–investing in modernizing manufacturing; basic R&D; high risk/high reward clean energy research; and teaching science, technology, engineering and math
Keeping our nation on a path to double funding for basic scientific research, crucial to some of our most innovative breakthroughs, over 10 years
Creating jobs with innovative technology loan guarantees for small and mid-sized manufacturers and Regional Innovation Clusters to expand scientific and economic collaboration
Promoting high-risk high reward research to pioneer the cutting edge discoveries of tomorrow through ARPA-E and Energy Innovation Hubs for American energy independence
Creating the next generation of entrepreneurs by improving science, math, technology, and engineering education at all levels
Supported by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, Business Roundtable
Creates and saves jobs with targeted investments to:
Hire and retain teachers, police, and firefighters Rebuild highways and transit, boost small business
Give health assistance to states struggling to keep hundreds of thousands of people on the job
Extend health benefits for those who have lost their job through no fault of their own
SMALL BUSINESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS TAX ACT
Extends successful Build America Bonds for schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, and rail lines
Targets tax cuts to spur investment in small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to start a business
Creates 160,000 jobs with aid to states to provide subsidies to employers who hire workers
Cracks down on foreign tax haven corporations that dodge U.S. taxes and gain an unfair advantage over American companies playing by the rules through the U.S. tax treaty network
DISASTER RELIEF AND SUMMER JOBS ACT
Gives disaster-stricken communities aid to rebuild their homes, infrastructure and local economies
Creates about 300,000 summer job opportunities for young people