Washington, D.C. —- U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), the only North Carolina-member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement in response to the President’s jobs proposal:
“North Carolinians are suffering, and it is good that the President and Congress are focusing attention on our top priorities: jobs, jobs, jobs. Thanks to Congress’ actions to address the Great Recession and a credit market on the verge of complete collapse, as the year ends we see hopeful signs that our shaky economy has stabilized. Still, too many Americans who want work cannot find it, and families are suffering.
“As North Carolina’s only member of the Ways and Means Committee, I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues to help businesses grow, create jobs, and access the credit they need. As the economy starts to recover, creative federal investments can give businesses a leg-up to expand hiring. The President was right to focus on small businesses, which account for two-thirds of the jobs in America and the vast majority of job growth year over year.
“Congress should not rest until a full recovery is felt in our local communities.”