Congressman Olver Releases Statement on Jobs

Today, Congressman Olver released the following statement in anticipation of the President's speech on jobs to be held before a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 8, 2011:

On Thursday evening, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress to present his plan for job creation and urge members of Congress to help him put people back to work. There is no question that job creation needs to be at the top of Congress' agenda, with 14 million Americans unemployed and the rate of unemployment remaining stagnant in August. It is critical that the House of Representatives break its recent streak of passing legislation that does nothing to create jobs.

As Ranking Member of the Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee, I see the restoration and development of our national infrastructure as an essential part of job creation and economic recovery. The President's proposal for a national Infrastructure Bank is one I fully support, in conjunction with increased federal spending on infrastructure overall, which will both create jobs and stimulate economic growth. Investing in projects like bridges and roads not only puts people to work, but helps others get to their jobs quickly and safely.

I am also supportive of the President's plan to spur economic growth by tackling the problems in our public schools. By funding the backlog of school construction projects across the country, we put thousands of workers back on the job. By rehiring teachers, we simultaneously gain jobs while reducing class sizes. Investing in the futures of our youngest citizens as we create jobs is the kind of forward-thinking initiative we need to pull through this economic slump.

I look forward to hearing the complete details of the President's plan in his address tonight.

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