Van Hollen Statement on the February Jobs Report

Statement

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the February jobs report:

"Today's jobs report is the latest encouraging sign that our economy continues to make progress -- employers added 192,000 jobs last month and unemployment is down. But too many Americans remain out of work and too many families struggle to make ends meet. Now is the time to build on this progress and bolster our still fragile recovery.

"Unfortunately, policies promoted by Republicans in Congress would undermine our economic recovery. Since taking the majority, House Republicans have failed to propose a single plan to put Americans back to work. In fact, economists of all political stripes agree that the GOP's plan to slash funding for the remainder of the year would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. At a time when we should be doing everything we can to reduce unemployment, this Republican plan is irresponsible and badly misguided.

"Democrats are committed to reducing the deficit and putting our country on a long-term path toward fiscal sustainability. But that effort must not put our economy at risk and put Americans out of work. We will fight for smart investments that keep America competitive and strengthen the middle class, while responsibly reining in spending."

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