Issue Position: Jobs and the Economy

Issue Position

Congress needs to create the economic environment to spur growth and create new jobs. Instead, today's Congress is standing in the way and standing by--standing in the way of job growth with partisan gridlock and taxes that hurt small businesses, and standing by as the middle class gets squeezed.

Growing up in a Democratic household in a small town, I learned early on that we are all connected. Small businesses create solid middle class jobs, and a thriving middle class pumps money back into the local economy. When the middle class can't grow, America's greatest economic engine is starved. We need leaders in Congress who have the commitment and experience to create more jobs for the middle class, both for the nation at large and right here in the 6th district.

Small businesses are America's greatest source of new jobs and innovation, and they are critical to the 6th district. I started a small business myself, and I hear from small business people all the time who can't understand why they pay higher tax rates than the big corporations they compete with. Congress needs to reform the tax code to help small businesses and eliminate the loopholes that only benefit big corporations.

Meanwhile, those of us in the middle class are getting squeezed. Prices for everything are rising fast--food, college tuition, heath care, prescription drugs--but wages are not keeping up. Congress has done a lot to help the rich, and does a lot to help the poor (though it could do more), but Congress seems to be forgetting the middle class.

It's time for a new generation of leadership to make the comprehensive changes required to get our economy back on track, level the playing field to grow the middle class, and ensure that a prosperous and fair America an economic leader for the future the way it has been in the past.

There are a number of ways that Congress can help our economy grow faster and bring jobs back to the 6th district. I will focus initially on three:

Reform the tax code to help small businesses: We need a tax code that supports small businesses, enables them to succeed, and expands their payrolls to include more workers.
Improve educational opportunities for all: A quality education is the best way to ensure future generations are prepared for the workforce, and a well-trained workforce attracts jobs to the district.
Build local infrastructure to create jobs and attract businesses to the 6th district: Smart transportation improvements, downtown economic development zones, and targeted flood protection and other federal support will attract more businesses to the district.

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