Press Release

After nearly eleven months in control of the House, Speaker Boehner and his fellow Republicans have proposed a surface transportation bill that purports to create jobs. Unfortunately, they have not been clear about the investments they propose or how to pay for them. Democrats have had a jobs plan on the table for over a year – the Make It In America plan contains a number of investments in our roads, rails, airports, and seaports that will create jobs right away and boost our economic competitiveness over the long term. President Obama’s American Jobs Act also contains specific infrastructure proposals to create jobs—yet Senate Republicans blocked consideration of that measure.

In 1995 I spoke on the floor in support of a balanced budget amendment. That was sixteen years ago. There's a lot of water over the bridge since that time. I said then, and I quote: 'I do so because I believe that this country confronts a critical threat caused by the continuation of large annual deficits.

Today, the House passed a conference report that adheres to the Budget Control Act and still contains a number of good investments. It demonstrates that responsible Republicans and Democrats can work together to pass legislation to fund the government in line with past agreements and meet our shared responsibility to the American people.

I am pleased that Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate were able to work together to pass this provision of President Obama’s American Jobs Act that will encourage businesses to hire veterans and help veterans find work. Those who fought so hard for our nation overseas shouldn’t have to do so here at home just to find a job. The American Jobs Act, along with House Democrats’ Make It In America plan, contain bipartisan ideas that will get more Americans back to work right away and increase our economic competitiveness in the long run. I urge Republicans in both chambers to follow the passage of this legislation by working with us on passing the remainder of the American Jobs Act and the Make It In America plan. Congress must act now to help the millions of Americans who are unemployed. They cannot wait, and neither can we.

With the myriad of problems facing our nation, I find it inconceivable that the Republican leadership has chosen to prioritize this bill. I strongly urge its defeat for two important reasons.

Thank you, Rep. Conyers, for holding this important hearing. With the federal election just under a year away, the Committee is right to look into possible voter suppression taking place. The right to vote is fundamental to our entire system of government and the ability of every American to have his or her voice heard in Washington, in their statehouses, and in their local communities. That right is under threat today. Nationwide, state legislatures have been erecting barriers that deter or inhibit eligible voters from casting ballots. They are making it harder to vote by mandating certain forms of photo identification, which many current voters do not have and are time-consuming and expensive to obtain.

I welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to consider legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act and have every confidence that the Court will uphold the constitutionality of this law. The Affordable Care Act continues to provide benefits to millions of Americans; from children with pre-existing conditions to seniors who are now saving money on prescription drug costs. I am confident Americans of all ages will continue to benefit from the health care law, as it will be upheld.

For more than two centuries, Americans from every background and every community have donned our nation’s uniform and marched off to defend the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution and our way of life. Too many never returned. Today, on Veterans Day, we honor those who did and recommit ourselves to standing up for them and the benefits they have earned through their service. We must never forget our duty to our veterans, especially to those now returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. They deserve quality, affordable health care to help heal their wounds – both physical and psychological – as well as opportunities for higher education and assistance transitioning to civilian jobs. Congress coming together to act in meeting our responsibility to them has never been more important than it is today, with a disturbingly high level of unemployment among young veterans. In this spirit, the 110th Congress passed the 21st Century G.I. Bill and worked to improve the VA health system, and it is this same spirit that I hope will lead the current Congress to put veterans’ needs ahead of politics once again and take action to help them find work.