U.S. Chamber: President's Jobs Speech Offers Some Useful Proposals, but Action and Bolder Ideas Must Follow
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued the following statement on the president’s jobs speech:
“There’s no greater challenge facing our nation than creating jobs for millions of unemployed Americans. President Obama was right to call for swift passage of pending free trade agreements and smart investments in our transportation infrastructure. The administration and Congress must now act on these priorities without further delay in order to save and create hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
“While the president discussed a variety of important issues, his ideas appear to fall short. A workable jobs plan must genuinely reduce regulatory uncertainty, unshackle promising American industries, and not be overly reliant on government spending and subsidies. The Chamber’s plan, which we sent to the president and every member of Congress earlier this week, points the way to millions of new jobs without increasing the deficit or expanding government.
“Now that many proposals have been put on the table, the time for talking has passed and the time for action is now. Our nation urgently needs an economic growth agenda that accelerates and fires up the powerful job-creating engine of American enterprise. The president and Congress must act faster, be bolder, and put their faith in free enterprise, not in bigger government.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.