GOP slams White House, Senate Dems on jobs

Republicans used their Labor Day weekend address to blast the Obama administration and the Democratic-controlled Senate for dragging their feet on more than 40 jobs bills passed in the House.

“We’re seeing some jobs come back, but too many of our fellow Americans are stuck in part-time work or have stopped looking altogether,” said Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.), who delivered Saturday’s address. “And between wages staying flat – and costs on everything from food to health care going up – families are being squeezed at every turn.”

{mosads}Bucshon, a cardiothoracic surgeon, said that as a physician he took an oath to “do no harm,” however, the administration’s policies “continue to harm our nation’s economy and families struggling to make ends meet, Republicans are offering solutions America’s workers can count on.” 

He said the proposals had been dubbed “American Solutions” because they “put the American people first. Which is exactly what we’re asking of President Obama and Senate Democrats as we celebrate our nation’s workforce: put aside politics, and do what Americans do every day, and that’s get to work.”

Buschon said that the GOP’s approach includes getting people “back into steady, good-paying jobs,” noting lawmakers have amended the country’s job training system to “make it easier for workers to find the skills they need to get ahead.”

“This was a bipartisan, common-sense compromise with our colleagues in the Senate,” he said, adding House lawmakers have also offered proposals to spur small business investment and cut down on regulations that could get in the way of hiring.

Other aspects include lowering costs, according to Bucshon.

“Several of the bipartisan jobs bills we’re asking Senate Democrats to act on would help make energy less expensive for families and small businesses, like the manufacturers that help support the Hoosier economy,” he said.

Bucshon cited his own childhood, boasting that his father spent 35 years working as a coal miner in his hometown in Illinois. 

“Unfortunately, the current administration is waging a war on this reliable, affordable source of energy and the countless jobs it supports,” he said. “This is one example of many where the policies coming from Washington, D.C. just don’t make sense. “

Congress also needs to implement “real health care reform that lets patients choose the plans they want at a price they can afford,” Bucshon said in a thinly-veiled jabbed at ObamaCare.

Lastly, Republicans want to “restore real opportunities for all Americans” by making education more affordable and accessible for middle-class families.

“And we’re ready to fix our tax code to make it simpler and fairer for everyone,” he added.

Bucshon vowed that the various initiatives would “be our focus in the weeks ahead.”