Issue Position: Creating Good Jobs

Issue Position

Our economy is recovering from the Great Recession, but there is still considerable work to be done. Too many Americans can't find jobs or are working part-time or for lower pay than before the economic crisis. Too many Americans who are working have seen their hours shortened or their benefits cut back. Too many feel that their part of the American Dream -- to provide for their families with a solid paycheck, own a home, send their kids to college, retire with dignity -- is slipping away. I will not accept that as the new status quo, the "new normal", and I have proposed ideas on how to create good jobs and get the economy moving again.

Creating good jobs will help improve our entire economy in many ways. What the economy needs is more confident consumers -- workers with steady incomes are more likely to buy goods in local stores, go out to eat a meal or even go on a vacation -- and that creates more jobs. In addition, putting people back to work will bring down the deficit, as more workers are paying taxes and fewer families are dependent on unemployment insurance and food stamps.

It is also critical that when we create jobs we also support the workers who fill them. I am a strong supporter of unions and the labor movement and the right to collectively bargain.

Legislation I've Introduced

Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act -- My bill would create 2.2 million jobs over two years. The most straightforward way to get Americans back to work is simply by hiring them, and that is what my bill would do. It would create jobs in areas critical to our communities and our economy -- education, health care, law enforcement and community cleanup. The President included parts of my bill -- on building and repairing schools, jobs for youth, and putting teachers, firefighters, and police back to work -- in his proposed American Jobs Act. I also strongly support his bill and have cosponsored it in the House.

Patriot Corporations of America Act -- The bill would reward companies that create jobs in the U.S. and support American workers. It is paid for by closing loopholes that benefit companies that ship jobs overseas.

Source