Silence: Another Week Without a Small Business Job Creation Plan from Washington Democrats
With American workers and their families continuing to ask “where are the jobs,” another week has gone by without a small business job creation plan from Democrats in Washington. While they dither, House Republicans have proposed a “bipartisan jobs plan” to help small businesses, assembled a “kitchen cabinet” of economic experts, and convened a working group of lawmakers to review additional job creation proposals. After months of near-record unemployment rates, Democrats, on the other hand, have scheduled a meeting next week to “find a way” to address the jobs crisis. All indications point to Democrats doubling down on their disastrous economic record and proposing a second ‘stimulus’ to complement their costly, job-killing agenda. This means more spending and borrowing at a time when the Obama Administration’s budget already includes trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. The American people are looking for more than more of the same.
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) addressed the Democrats’ lack of leadership on the jobs crisis yesterday on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom:
“Unfortunately, we’re not hearing anything out of the Administration, we’re not hearing anything from the Democrat Majority in Congress. I’ve been asking the question over the past three or four months, ‘where are the jobs?’ The President promised if we passed the trillion dollars stimulus plan back in February that unemployment would not exceed eight percent and here we are almost at ten percent. Three million Americans have lost their jobs since this trillion dollar stimulus bill was signed into law. And when you look at their bill it was all about growing the size of government, it wasn’t about creating jobs in America.”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS “HAVE SCHEDULED A MEETING” ON THE ECONOMY:
“House leaders have scheduled a meeting with economists for Oct. 21 to discuss efforts needed to help turn the struggling economy around. The 9.8 percent unemployment rate is prompting Democrats to find a way to address concerns about the economy, even as health care dominates the legislative agenda. Republicans have been hammering away at the jobs numbers, arguing that the stimulus has not worked.” (CQ, 10/15/09)
HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE LED THE CHARGE FOR A “BIPARTISAN JOBS PLAN:”
A “Bipartisan Jobs Plan” to Help Small Businesses. “House Republicans Press Obama on Job Creation. House Republicans sent a letter to President Barack Obama today, pushing the administration to seek more business tax breaks as a way to boost the number of new jobs. … Republicans say in their letter that they’re hoping to work with the White House toward a bipartisan jobs plan. But they use some tough language – calling the February stimulus ‘unsuccessful,’ and urging Democrats to drop their ‘job-killing’ health care reforms.” (WSJ Washington Wire, 10/7/09)
A “Kitchen Cabinet” of Economic Experts. “House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has assembled a group of economic experts to help Republicans lob attacks at Democratic assertions that the economy has begun to rebound as a result of the Obama administration’s policies. The ‘kitchen cabinet’ of advisers is part of a latest offensive in the GOP’s ‘Where Are the Jobs?’ campaign, launched this summer by House Republicans and being pushed by Boehner.” (Roll Call, 10/14/09)
A “Working Group” of Lawmakers Reviewing Additional Options. “House GOP Calls for Emphasis on Jobs. House Republican leaders Wednesday called on Democrats to do more to create jobs across the country rather than focusing on health care reform legislation. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., the GOP House Whip, said he plans to convene a working group to review options for further stimulating the economy and supporting small businesses, expressing skepticism for a proposal Democrats have floated.” (RTTNews, 10/16/09)
House Republicans’ solutions to help small businesses create jobs: Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income; let small businesses join together to purchase health insurance for their workers the way large businesses and labor unions do; enact genuine legal reform and policies that incentivize wellness to reduce health care costs for small businesses; lower taxes for all taxpayers by reducing the current 15 percent rate to 10 percent and reducing the current 10 percent rate to 5 percent; expand health savings accounts (HSAs) to provide additional flexibility to small businesses in providing health care to their employees; and increase the net operating loss carry back from 2 to 5 years to provide struggling employers with additional resources to keep their doors open.
