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Boehner Column: The House Remains Focused on Jobs

Washington- Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) released the following column on August 28th, 2013:

“Recently, I had an opportunity to sit down with community and business leaders in West Chester and Springfield to talk about the economy and jobs. These meetings are an opportunity for me to listen to the concerns and priorities of families and small businesses here in Ohio’s Eighth Congressional District. They also allow me the chance to give an update about our ongoing work in the House of Representatives.f

“Here’s a brief overview of several important issues we discussed – each of which is part of our Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs that we’ve been focusing on in the House for most of the year.

“Expanding American Energy. Infrastructure is important, and that’s why energy is a key part of our plan to revitalize manufacturing and make America a nation of builders again. Our true ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy includes popular projects like the Keystone XL pipeline, and the recently House-passed Residuals Reuse and Management Act. This bipartisan bill, offered by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), scraps ‘war on coal’ regulations proposed by the Obama administration and instead implements a state-based framework for regulating ash that will protect jobs and help keep energy costs low for families.

“Making it Easier for Students to Pay for College. On July 24, Senate Democrats finally joined Republicans in passing a permanent, market-based solution on student loans. This bill is a victory for students and our economy, and it’s entirely consistent with a bill that passed the House in May thanks to the leadership of House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC).

“Fixing our Broken Immigration System. For years my colleagues and I have advocated for a step-by-step, common-sense approach to immigration reform that starts with securing our borders and enforcing our laws. We’re losing ground economically to other countries in part because they do a better job of selecting the best and brightest legal immigrants. And of course, we have 11 million here unlawfully because our federal government has failed to secure the nation’s borders.

“If we’re serious about doing everything we can to grow our economy, then doing nothing is not an option. Unfortunately, our current president rejects this step-by-step approach, in favor of a massive ObamaCare-style bill that Americans don’t want. That’s why our committees are taking their own approach, and not simply rubber-stamping the Senate’s bill. Our focus is on getting the policy right, so we can fix our broken immigration system and boost our economy.

“Controlling Spending and Balancing the Budget. Our government has spent more money than it has taken in for 55 of the last 60 years. We have a massive $17 trillion dollar debt, yet the White House is drawing up plans to shut down the government if Congress doesn’t agree to more spending and new tax hikes. That’s not good for our country, or for creating sustainable, robust jobs growth – and that’s why I’m urging President Obama to change course, and work with us on smarter cuts and reforms that strengthen our economy and put America on a path to a balanced budget over 10 years.

“Protecting All Americans from Rising Health Care Costs and Onerous Mandates.  President Obama recently dismissed efforts to dismantle his health care law as ‘meaningless,’ but he’s already signed seven bills repealing or defunding parts of the law. House Republicans recently acted to provide additional relief to families and businesses by delaying both the law’s employer mandate and individual mandate, and now we’re urging the Senate to join us in protecting all Americans from this law that is driving up costs, destroying jobs, and forcing people off plans they like.

“These are a few – but not all – of the important issues we’re focusing on to make a difference for families suffering through what’s becoming a new normal of stagnant wages, high unemployment and rising costs.

“As always, you can find additional details on our jobs plan at jobs.gop.gov. So take a look, and please don’t hesitate to let me know what you think by commenting on my website, connecting with me on Twitter (@SpeakerBoehner), or giving my office a call at 1-800-582-1001.”