CHC CHAIR GONZALEZ STATEMENT ON OBAMA’S JOB SPEECH
September 9, 2011
Washington D.C.: Chairman Charles A. Gonzalez (TX 20) released this statement in response to President Obama’s joint session address to Congress and his announcement of the American Jobs Act:
“The president’s speech last night confirmed that he is committed to getting Americans back to work and he presented strategic proposals to create a better economic situation for working Latino families.
It has been said many times before that the recession has hit Latinos hard, with household wealth for Hispanics shrinking by 66% from 2005 to 2009 as a result of the failed economic policies of the previous administration. President Obama understands the crucial role that Hispanics will play in our economic future and his proposal reflects this reality.
Under his plan, nearly 25 million Hispanics will have more money for their families by extending the payroll tax cut. The President’s proposals to rebuild and reinvest in infrastructure will revitalize our most underserved communities that have been devastated with foreclosures. Tax cuts to small business owners, including the 250,000 Hispanic small business owners, will reignite efforts to hire and train new workers.
For our Latino children, his plan vows to strengthen struggling schools and help provide students with an educational foundation for a lifetime of success. I support his effort to engage the 19.3% of jobless Hispanic youth with the “Pathways Back to Work” program, which assists employers with training for low-income youth and adults.
The way to jump start our economy is to rebuild and invest in working Americans. I urge my colleagues to take a reasonable and expeditious approach at reviewing the President’s proposals and make every effort to get Americans back to work.”
Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction:
“President Obama is right to focus the nation’s attention on the biggest deficit we face—the jobs deficit. How can we expect to balance the nation’s checkbook when 14 million Americans are out of work and having a hard time balancing theirs?
“History has shown that when you invest in America by building up our schools and building out our infrastructure you create jobs and economic growth that pay the nation back many times over. And when you plant the seed of confidence in American businesses to invest in more American workers, then we can once again say that we will make it in America. Let’s prove the cynics and naysayers wrong and support President Obama’s effort to create jobs in America.”
Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX 15):
“I applaud President Obama for his courage and vision in presenting The American Jobs Act to help working class families, to help low-income families, to help our students achieve higher goals. His plan to assist small businesses to build and grow is just the beginning of a winning plan.”
Congressman Joe Baca (CA 43):
“Last night, the President laid out a bold plan of action to create new jobs and strengthen our economic recovery. The American Jobs Act includes the necessary combination of tax incentives and new investments to create the new jobs needed by the nearly 1 million Hispanic Americans who have been out of work for 6 months or longer. Congress must come together to bring fiscal stability, create new jobs, and grow our economy over the long term. I stand ready to work with all my colleagues – Democrats, Republicans, and Tea Party Members – to pass a bipartisan job creation effort that the American people need right now.”
CongressmanBen Ray Luján (NM 03):
“President Obama offered a number of proposals that I hope Congress will move quickly to enact. This plan is a good start with many ideas that have received bipartisan support in the past and are deserving of that support again. Putting money back in the pockets of middle-class Americans will provide a much-needed boost to the economy and help those hit hardest by the economic recession. With our nation’s infrastructure in need of significant repairs and modernization, building new roads and bridges will not only put people back to work, but will also invest in our nation’s ability to compete in the global economy.”