Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Blog

Ohio State Senator Eric Kearney: Passing the American Jobs Act is the Right Thing To Do

The President is traveling across the country to show how the American Jobs Act will help modernize our schools, rebuild our infrastructure, and put Americans back to work. The President recently visited Cincinnati, Ohio and urged Congress to pass the American Jobs Act.

Ohio State Senator Eric Kearney reflects on the President’s remarks in Cincinnati, and explains how the American Jobs Act will help modernize our nation’s infrastructure and create jobs for Americans:

Last week I joined President Obama as he traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to urge support for the American Jobs Act. As the State Senator for the 9th District, I am pleased that President Obama came to my hometown to call for an end to the partisan gridlock in Washington and bring our attention back to our top priority—putting Americans back to work.

President Obama spoke at the Hilltop Construction site just below the Brent Spence Bridge, which is one of the most frequently traveled trucking routes in America.  Thousands of local residents use the bridge between Ohio and Kentucky every day commuting to work, school or traveling on vacation. However, it is in need of several significant repairs to remain reliable and safe. It is important that we have sound transportation structures to ensure that Cincinnati remains a great place to live and do business.

The passage of the American Jobs Act is the primary step in guaranteeing economic growth and job opportunities for Cincinnatians. With a current unemployment rate of 8.7%, our local community cannot wait for the jobs to come. We must work cooperatively to create them. 

The $50 billion dollar investment in construction projects as proposed by President Obama will lead to these jobs for skilled workers in Ohio and across America. I encourage representatives from both states affected by the conditions of the Brent Spence Bridge as well as leaders in Washington DC to put aside their differences and take the steps necessary to modernize our nation’s infrastructure and create jobs for Americans.  It is the right thing to do for the people of this country and our economy.

Michael Block is the Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mayor of Denver: American Jobs Act an "Opportunity for all Elected Officials to Put Aside Differences"

Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver, Colorado says there is no more important initiative that any elected official can be focused on than "trying to get America back to work, right now."

Hancock believes that "this Job Act is an opportunity for all elected officials at every level but particularly here in Washington, in Congress and the White House, to finally put aside our differences and stand again for the people of America and begin to put them to work."

President Obama will be in Denver today to speak about the American Jobs Act, his plan that will immediately put workers back on the job and put more money in the pockets of working Americans, and Hancock says that what benefits Denver in the package is "going to be the same thing that benefits all cities across this country large and small, you give employers the incentive to bring people on the payroll."

Watch Denver Mayor Michael Hancock Support the American Jobs Act, here: 

See how other mayors say the American Jobs Act will impact their cities:

Mayor Dayne Walling of Flint, Michigan
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, California
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, Maryland
Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, Ohio
Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky
Mayor Sly James of Kansas City
Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix, Arizona