Klobuchar Calls for Bipartisan Effort to Get America's Economy Working Again
Press Release
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today called on Congress to put politics aside and come together to get America's economy working again. During a Joint Economic Committee hearing, Klobuchar questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke about how to create policies that encourage economic growth and emphasized the need to give businesses certainty, take a balanced approach to reducing the deficit, and focus on training America's workforce for 21st century jobs to compete in the global economy.
"I have heard from countless Minnesotans who want Congress to put politics aside and come together to craft policies that encourage economic growth and increase America's competitiveness globally,"Klobuchar said. "We must take a balanced approach to deficit reduction and give businesses the certainty they need to create jobs. The time has come to break through the partisan stalemate and move our economy forward."
During the hearing, Chairman Bernanke agreed with Klobuchar that the U.S. needs to focus on training its workforce for the high-tech jobs of the future and revitalize America's competitive edge.
"This is where many of our exports are now -- either in specialized, high-tech, capital goods or professional services,"Bernanke said. "Developing both the human capital -- the expertise, the skills -- and making sure that we retain our global leadership in research and development are incredibly important for productivity and living standards going forward."
Klobuchar has been a leader in the effort to increase America's competitiveness in the global economy and serves as chair of the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion. Klobuchar has introduced the bipartisan Innovate America Act with Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), legislation that would cut red tape to help businesses utilize research and development for new products, target successful education programs, and promote U.S. exports in new markets to strengthen America's ability to innovate and compete in the global economy.
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