Manzullo calls stimulus bill a failure, suggests his American Jobs Agenda is the solution

From press release

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo (R-16) suggested Feb. 17 that the $862 billion stimulus bill he opposed a year ago has failed in its primary objective to create jobs for Americans. Instead, Manzullo suggested, Congress and the president should focus on helping the private sector put Americans back to work.

When the stimulus bill was enacted one year ago, the administration claimed it would create 3.5 to 4 million jobs. In reality, another 3 million Americans have lost their jobs since then. In addition, America’s unemployment rate rose from 7.6 to 9.7 percent since that time.

The big problem, according to Manzullo, is that less than 5 percent of the bill was for job-creating infrastructure spending. The vast majority was spent on expanding and creating new social programs that are not heavy private-sector job creators. And because of the record spending, the budget deficit has surged past $1.4 trillion and the national debt is beyond $12 trillion. In fact, the fastest growing part of the president’s just-released budget is interest on the national debt, which is estimated to be more than $800 billion annually by 2020.

Manzullo has offered a plan to help the private sector expand and put Americans back to work. If more Americans work in the private sector, they would pay the taxes necessary to sustain public sector jobs, Manzullo suggested.

According to Manzullo, his American Jobs Agenda focuses on helping employers cut costs, become more competitive, and create jobs through tax incentives, lower health care and energy costs, leveling the international playing field, and helping employers export more overseas and sell more to the government.

“From the beginning, we knew the $862 billion stimulus would fail its primary purpose to put Americans back to work because so little of it was focused on private sector job-creation,” Manzullo said. “In fact, we have lost 3 million more jobs since it was enacted a year ago. Government can’t create self-sustaining jobs. We need to focus on helping the private sector become more competitive so they can expand and put Americans back to work. One answer is my American Jobs Agenda, which gives our employers tax incentives, cuts health care and energy costs, levels the international playing field, and helps our employers export more and sell more to the government.”