Today, Congressman Lipinski issued the following statement on President Obama's jobs address:
"For years, I have been saying that Washington must stop the partisan bickering and focus on getting Americans back to work. I have introduced and supported numerous bills to help spur job creation. Earlier this summer I released my five-point jobs plan. But because our political system is so dysfunctional, the President and Congress have repeatedly failed to act.
"I hope that President Obama's speech will mark a turning point in Washington. Some of his proposals ought to be able to secure bipartisan support, and it has been encouraging to see Republicans indicate they will give serious consideration to what the President discussed. Both parties must put aside politics and come together to reach an agreement on policies that will spur economic growth and get Americans back to work. I will be closely examining the details of the President's legislation when the actual bill is released, and I look forward to hearing more about how he would pay for it.
"America faces two major tasks: spurring job creation in the short term, and rebuilding America into an economic powerhouse. My jobs plan tackles both of these challenges. If we're going to restore the prosperity of the American middle class, we need to modernize our infrastructure, strengthen manufacturing, level the international playing field, improve education, and invest in innovation.
"The President's plan would invest in transportation infrastructure. But the investment should be larger, and it should be done by passing the two-year-overdue surface transportation bill and the four-year-overdue Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization. These bills have been caught up in Congress for too long and the President has failed to push their passage. Passing them would not only quickly put hundreds of thousands of people to work, it would provide the public with a lasting benefit in the form of better roads, railways, airports, public transit, and other transportation infrastructure -- all of which reduce delays and boost economic growth. Everyone knows we need the investment here in northeastern Illinois, which suffers from the worst congestion in America.
"The President's plan is largely focused on the short-term, and undoubtedly short-term action is needed. But while we take steps to create jobs right now, we must also chart a path to long-term economic strength. That means no longer turning a blind eye to the offshoring of U.S. manufacturing jobs and striving to once again become the workshop of the world. It means standing up to China and leveling the international playing field to restore fair trade for American workers. It means facing head on the challenges confronting us in the global economy by improving math and science education and bolstering our investment in innovation that drives job creation. My jobs plan does all of these things.
"I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take action to create jobs now and restore prosperity and opportunity for the middle class."