May, 24 2010, 02:16pm EDT
Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Promoting American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act
It's crunch time for putting Americans back to work. Members of
Congress often talk about jobs: Now they have a chance to back up
their rhetoric with action.
WASHINGTON
It's crunch time for putting Americans back to work. Members of
Congress often talk about jobs: Now they have a chance to back up
their rhetoric with action.
This week Congress intends to vote on a jobs bill that cracks down
on tax loopholes for millionaire hedge fund managers and on
corporations that ship our jobs overseas. This jobs bill will put
Americans back to work by repairing our crumbling infrastructure;
stemming public sector layoffs in the states; encouraging more bank
loans to small business; extending unemployment benefits and health
benefits for the unemployed through the end of this year; and providing
over 300,000 summer jobs for unemployed youth.
If you're not for this bill, you're not for jobs. Period.
And please, no more excuses about the budget deficit--unless and
until you're willing to make Wall Street pay its fair share to bring
down the deficit. The people who are always saying "no" to jobs
because of the deficit are often the same people who voted to squander
our hard-earned budget surpluses so they could shower undeserved tax
breaks on rich people during the Bush years. Apparently, spending
money on rich people is perfectly okay, but investing in jobs for
working class Americans sets off alarm bells.
It's time for members of Congress to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Vote for jobs. Now.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) works tirelessly to improve the lives of working people. We are the democratic, voluntary federation of 56 national and international labor unions that represent 12.5 million working men and women.
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