I will be joining my fellow members of the House of Representatives in returning to Washington tomorrow for a vitally important vote to prevent massive teacher, police and fire layoffs from occurring across the United States. As states across the nation continue to face unprecedented budget challenges, it is critical to help preserve vital services like education and public safety for our citizens. We want to keep teachers in the classroom and police officers on the beat, instead of in the unemployment line.
I look forward to voting yes on this emergency measure. The bill will save 140,000 teaching jobs from being eliminated and will create or save 150,000 jobs in fields like police, fire and nursing. It is exactly what we need at this time.
Despite agreement from reasonable people on both sides of the aisle that swift action is needed, we’re still hearing the same old tired rhetoric from people like House Minority Leader John Boehner. I was shocked to hear him call this essential piece of legislation a “bailout for special interests.” Excuse me? Special interests?
Congressman Boehner: let me be straight. Teachers, police officers, fire fighters and nurses are not special interests. They are the people who make America great, and who make our country strong. I was sent to Washington to fight for our teachers and public safety officials, not the Wall Street banks, credit card companies, Big Oil and insurance companies – the folks Congressional Republicans have been fighting to protect at every turn.
Here are the facts: this measure is completely paid for, partly through closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas. It will actually cut the deficit by $1.4 billion over the next decade. I see no reason to oppose legislation that not only saves or creates nearly 300,000 essential, sorely-needed jobs, but also cuts the deficit.
Democrats are continuing to move America forward while Congressional Republicans work to take us back to the same old failed Bush policies that drove us into the ditch. A decade of Republican rule failed to prepare our nation for the challenges of the 21st century, and nearly doubled the national debt. Why would we want to go back to that?
I will continue to stand up with Democrats in Congress to take America in a new direction. We’ll keep fighting to create good American jobs, to provide the lowest taxes in 60 years for the middle class and small businesses, and to close tax loopholes that ship our jobs overseas.
That’s not helping “special interests.” That’s doing the right thing. And that’s what I’m going to keep doing every day I have the pleasure of serving you in Congress.