Rep. Miller: Job Creation Would Be Much Stronger if GOP Worked with Pres. Obama to Spur Economy

Statement

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after today's jobs report showed the 29th straight month of private-sector job creation. Over this period, a total of 4.5 million private-sector jobs have been created.

"Economists reacted generally positively to today's announcement that 163,000 jobs were created overall in July, including 172,000 private-sector jobs. And for good reason. The jobs report is one positive sign about our economy even though much more work needs to be done.

"Now, imagine how those same economists, and how the American people, would have reacted if the number of jobs created in one month were 250,000, roughly the amount needed each month to indicate strong economic growth. Naturally, we would all be feeling very good about the economy and our future.

"And that is exactly why Republicans in Congress are deliberately blocking any legislation that would spur additional job growth. They don't want the American people to feel good about the economy and their future because they want the election in November to be a referendum on President Obama's handling of the economy. So, their plan has been and remains now to keep as many Americans unemployed as possible until the election this November is settled and instead only pass legislation to give more tax cuts to billionaires, end the guarantee of Medicare, and repeal America's access to affordable health care.

"They have poisoned our legislative process, weakened the economy, and treated the American people with a degree of cynicism and disdain never before seen in American politics.

"If you like the July jobs number, just imagine what that number would be and how you would feel about it if Congress were working with, not against, President Obama to spur more economic growth."

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