Senator Kent Conrad Backs American Jobs Act

Statement from Senator Kent Conrad in Response to President Obama's Speech on the Economy and Job Creation

Washington — Senator Kent Conrad released the following statement tonight in reaction to President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress where he outlined a jobs and economic growth package to the American people.

"The President set the right tone in his address to Congress and the nation. He laid out an ambitious plan to boost job growth and jumpstart the economy by extending tax cuts for working families and investing in education and programs to rebuild our nation's infrastructure.  Now Congress must put politics aside and work towards bipartisan compromises on policies that both parties can embrace.

"As the President stated, this is a two track approach.  At the same time we work to create jobs and spark the economy in the near-term, we must also continue to work on a plan to further reduce the nation’s long-term debt burden. That is the focus now of the special congressional committee tasked with identifying $1.5 trillion in debt reduction over the next 10 years. It is my hope the committee will exceed its target and produce a bold, bipartisan, and balanced plan that truly puts the nation back on a sound long-term fiscal course."