Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday regarding efforts to slow the bipartisan JOBS Act:
“For the past several months, I and others have been calling on the Democrat majority here in the Senate to take up and pass the various bipartisan jobs bills that House Republicans have been sending across the dome. These bills on their own won’t solve the jobs crisis, but they’ll make it a lot easier for entrepreneurs and innovators to get the capital they need to build businesses and create jobs.
“And because these bills are more concerned with getting Washington out of the way than getting it more involved, these bills also send an important message that the economy and the country are a lot better off when folks have more control over their economic destinies, not less.
“Last night, we were on the cusp of passing a collection of these bills known as the JOBS act. This bill had overwhelming bipartisan support in the House. Nearly 400 members voted for it. And the President himself says that it will create jobs, he supports it and would sign it into law.
“Unfortunately, a handful of Democrats here in the Senate want to slow it down. They denied Americans this bipartisan victory for jobs that we could have had last night.
“So this morning I’d like to ask them to reconsider. I ask them to put politics aside and allow this bipartisan bill to move forward, so we can pocket this achievement and move on to other measures, including the reauthorization of the Export-Import bank, which I suggested yesterday. One bill alone can’t undo the damage inflicted on the economy by this Administration, but it can help. And we need to show the American people that we can do this.
“There’s simply no reason for any further delay.
“This bill is exactly the kind of thing Americans have been asking for — greater freedom and flexibility. And that’s one of the reasons it’s had such overwhelming bipartisan support.
“At a moment when millions are looking for work and Democrats say they want more bipartisan action on jobs, this is it.
“This is a layup. Let’s get it done.”
