Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding the need for Senate Democrats and the President to work with Republicans on bipartisan legislation that can help create jobs:
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve repeatedly come to the floor to highlight the good work Republicans in the House have been doing in identifying jobs legislation that the two parties can agree on.
“At last count, House Republicans had passed 22 jobs bills that were designed not only to incentivize the private sector to create jobs but which were also designed to attract strong bipartisan support.
“In other words, House Republicans have been designing jobs legislation that could actually pass. They’ve been legislating with an eye toward making a difference instead of making a point.
“And so I’ve been encouraging the Democratic Majority here in the Senate to follow the House’s lead, take up these bipartisan jobs bills, pass them in the Senate, and send them to the President for a signature. That way we’d actually be helping to create jobs, and we’d send a message to the American people that we can do something many of them don’t think we do enough of: work together.
“So this morning, I’d like to call on my Democratic colleagues once again to take me up on the offer. Once we get back from Thanksgiving, let’s take up these bipartisan bills that have already passed the House, pass them here in the Senate, and then send them on down to the President for a signature.
“We’ve showed we could do it last week when we worked together to pass Senator Brown’s 3 percent withholding bill and Senator Murray’s veterans bill. In fact, yesterday the House passed this legislation 422 - 0, sending it to the White House for the President’s signature. I’d like to call on the President this morning to invite Senator Brown down to the White House for the signing ceremony, which would show the American people that cooperation is indeed possible when Congress focuses on bipartisan job-creation solutions. So let’s continue to build off that momentum to do more.
“Many of the bipartisan House-passed jobs bills already have companion or similar legislation here in the Senate. There’s no reason we can’t start to take them up as soon as we get back.
“There’s a lot we could do.
“Yesterday, I highlighted a bill by Senator Collins, The EPA Regulatory Relief Act. It’s got strong support from both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, including 12 Democrat co-sponsors.
“Let’s pass it.
“The House-passed version of this bill passed overwhelmingly. It got more than 40 Democratic votes. It’s supported by more than 300 business groups, including the American Forest and Paper Association, the National Association of Manufacturing, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Business Roundtable. According to one estimate, this bill could save more than 200,000 jobs and provide greater certainty for businesses that are asking us for it. The EPA has asked for more time. Both parties support it.
“Let’s pass it.
“And then once we’ve passed that bill, we should take up the four other bipartisan House-passed bills I highlighted last week. These four bills would help businesses raise capital, expand their business, and create more jobs. They all passed with bipartisan support in the House. We’ve got bipartisan companion or similar legislation here in the Senate. What’s the hold-up? Let’s pass those bills too.
“There’s the Small Company Capital Formation Act, co-sponsored by Senators Tester and Toomey. It’s companion legislation got 183 Democrat votes in the House. Let’s pass it.
“There’s the Community Bank Resource Improvement Act, co-sponsored by Senators Hutchinson and Pryor. Its companion legislation in the House got 184 Democrats. Let’s take it up and pass it.
“There’s the Private Company Flexibility and Growth Act, co-sponsored by Senators Toomey and Carper. Let’s pass it.
“There’s the Democratizing Access to Capital Act, sponsored by Senator Scott Brown. A similar bill in the House passed with 407 votes — including 169 from Democrats. Let’s pass it.
“There’s the Access to Capital for Job Creators Act, co-sponsored by Senator Thune. It passed the House with 413 votes, including 175 Democrats. Let’s pass it.
“And we shouldn’t stop there. As I see it there’s no reason we shouldn’t take up every one of these bipartisan bills that have already passed the House once we get back and pass them, one by one.
“They all passed the House on a bipartisan basis. They’ll help the private sector create jobs. There’s no good reason we shouldn’t take all these bills up and pass them here in the Senate.
“Because if we can’t pass jobs legislation that we all agree on, then what are we going to pass? This should be a lay-up.
“The Republican-House has done its job. It’s time for the Senate to act.
“Let’s do what the American people expect us to do. Let’s take up these jobs bills when we return, pass them, and send them on down to the President for a signature.
“Let’s do the work we were sent here to do.”
