Senator Kerry Backs American Jobs Act

Kerry: President Obama Includes Kerry-Hutchison Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bank Plan in Jobs Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) released the following statement after President Obama’s speech tonight to a joint session of Congress:

“This morning, 12 of us charged with putting America's fiscal house in order stressed, one after another, that we were deadly earnest about taking nothing off the table and finding the best ideas, left or right, for the strength and success of our country.  Governing in difficult times demands nothing less.

“Tonight I was very encouraged to see President Obama include the Kerry-Hutchison infrastructure bank proposal in his jobs package, and I hope everyone looks at this idea on the merits alone, not as President Obama’s idea or my idea or a bill I wrote with Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lindsey Graham. This single idea is bigger than all of us. This is America’s bill.

“An infrastructure bank is a novel and innovative approach that will create good jobs, help businesses, and make us competitive.  There’s almost $200 billion in private capital sitting on the sidelines that could be invested in our infrastructure, but it will take this bank to unlock private investment for bridges, roads, and rail. It will do more with less federal spending.  It’s the single cheapest part of the President’s jobs proposal.  It will create millions of jobs in the next decade.  It’s apolitical.  Instead of funding piecemeal projects based on political influence, the bank will operate outside of politics.  We have got to build consensus for the infrastructure bank to become law in this Congress.

“Overall, tonight I thought President Obama laid out an aggressive, pragmatic jobs and growth plan. We know we can’t fix the budget without fixing jobs and we can’t fix jobs without fixing the budget.  Everyone and I mean everyone needs to cut the rhetoric and the soundbites and the political posturing and quietly roll up our sleeves and get to work.  Our joint committee has a big job to do and so does the entire Congress and the White House.  Let’s get at it.” 

Illinois Governor Quinn Backs American Jobs Act

Governor Quinn Statement on President’s Announcement of the American Jobs Act

CHICAGO – September 8, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today issued a statement following President Obama’s announcement of the American Jobs Act:

“Tonight, the President laid out a plan that will put Americans back to work now. We in Illinois applaud President Obama’s vision for American innovation, infrastructure, fiscal responsibility and bipartisanship. As our country recovers from the worst recession in decades, we must invest in our small businesses and the sectors that are creating the jobs of today and tomorrow. I support the President’s plan, and I stand with him in calling on Congress to put aside partisan politics and do their part for America’s working families.”

Senator Tom Harkin Backs American Jobs Act

Harkin: Let’s Put America Back to Work and Rebuild the Middle Class

President’s Jobs Proposal Includes Harkin-led Efforts to Fund Education Jobs/School Construction

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) tonight issued the following statement after President Obama addressed Congress on the need to put America back to work.  Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that funds education and labor initiatives.  He has fought to prevent massive layoffs of American teachers and is leading the effort in Congress to rebuild the middle class in America. 

“Traveling in Iowa this summer it was abundantly clear that the number one issue impacting Americans is not the budget deficit, but a far more urgent deficit: the jobs deficit.  By all means, we need to agree on necessary spending cuts and tax increases to bring deficits under control in the longer term.  But in the short term, we need a robust federal agenda to boost the economy and create jobs. 

“I am encouraged that the President’s proposal goes to the heart of that effort by investing in the jobs that sustain a strong middle class.  In particular, new funding he proposed for educator jobs will keep teachers in the classrooms.  This echoes a bill that I pushed through Congress last year to provide $10 billion to keep teachers on the job in the face of deep cuts to state budgets.

“The President’s call to renovate our schools is a win-win for our economy and for our children.  Kids cannot be expected to reach their full potential if the school they attend is crumbling around them.  And my experience in Iowa in providing funding to renovate our schools shows that every dollar in federal funds that is provided for school construction leverages an additional four dollars in funding from other sources, creating jobs and economic growth. 

“And I was pleased to see he proposed ramping up federal investments in infrastructure to boost U.S. competitiveness and create construction jobs.  As the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates, America faces a $2.2 trillion infrastructure backlog and they are correct to say that “we are still driving on Eisenhower’s roads and sending our kids to Roosevelt’s schools.”  His proposal also offers assistance so that the long-term unemployed can support their families while they continue to look for work. 

“As we move forward, we must also address the fact that two-thirds of adults with disabilities are not working. In the HELP Committee, I intend to continue to hold hearings on the best way to address this issue.

“Now that this proposal has been unveiled, I encourage the President to use the bully pulpit and fight to get it passed.  Where necessary, draw a sharp contrast to those who offer only obstruction and do-nothingism.  It’s time to break up the gridlock in Washington and put America back to work.  The future of our middle class – and our economy – depends on it.”

Representative John Lewis Backs American Jobs Act

Rep. John Lewis on President Obama’s Jobs Speech

Rep. John Lewis made these comments in response to President Obama’s speech tonight during a joint session of the U.S. Congress on jobs:

“I think President Obama delivered a great speech tonight.  He reached the soul of America and acknowledged the pain and struggles so many of us are facing.  He let the American people know he has heard their cries for help.  Tonight he offered credible, legislative action that Congress can implement to help resolve our problems. His speech was bold, thoughtful, and inspiring.  

“I know many will say the proposal is too expensive, but he said it can all be paid for if we are willing to insure that everyone pays their fair share and take steps to reform government where change is needed. Our problems are massive, and they will take massive intervention to resolve.  We cannot do it on the cheap, and we cannot shrink in fear, as Chairman Bernanke warned against today.  Cutting is not the only solution.  We must take action, and the President offered us a plan of action tonight.

“It was also important that the President reminded us not to use economic turmoil ‘as an excuse to wipe out basic protections’ that have defined the American way of life for decades.  We must rise to the occasion, challenge ourselves as a nation and challenge this Congress to make the hard choices and the critical compromises that create the climate and environment for growth.  We must put partisanship aside and do what is right for the American people.

“I was gratified to hear that the President will go on the road and reach out to every corner of America to enlist the support of the American people in this debate.  The President cannot do it alone. He has the power to build the kind of consensus that can re-energize, reform, and rebuild our economy.  But he needs the support of Congress, of the American people, and the business community to make a difference.  And we should give him that support.”