[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 132 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H5973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         JOB CRISIS IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Hurt) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HURT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the current state of 
the economy and the jobs crisis that is facing Virginia's Fifth 
District and our Nation.
  The August jobs report that was released last week showed that no net 
new jobs were added to the economy in the month of August, while 
unemployment remains unacceptably high at 9.1 percent, underscoring the 
urgent need for real change in Washington so we can get America working 
again.
  To help jump-start our economy, the House has been laser focused on 
supporting those policies that seek to remove the Federal Government as 
a barrier to job creation, to unleash innovation and invite opportunity 
in the private sector. To this end, the House has already passed 
several pro-growth measures that could immediately help spur job 
creation in Virginia's Fifth District and across our country. 
Unfortunately, the Senate has inexplicably refused to take action on 
these bills, blocking progress on commonsense solutions that would help 
turn our economy around at a time when we need it most.
  Continuing to build on our efforts in the House to grow the economy 
and create jobs, the majority leader recently announced the upcoming 
fall and winter legislative schedule for Congress, which will focus on 
reducing and repealing unnecessary government regulations to create a 
more certain economic environment to provide our true job creators with 
the confidence and the freedom necessary to expand and hire.
  I was glad that the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, H.R. 1633, a 
bill I coauthored with Representative Noem, was included as a part of 
this overall agenda on jobs and regulatory relief, and I am glad that 
the House will take action on this important bipartisan legislation. 
H.R. 1633 will prohibit the EPA from burdening farmers and small 
business owners in rural America with additional dust regulations so 
they can focus on growing their businesses and putting people back to 
work.
  As the President prepares to address a Joint Session of Congress this 
evening to unveil his latest jobs plan, it is my hope that he will take 
this opportunity to urge the Senate to act on the bipartisan House-
passed jobs bills, move past his failed stimulus measures, abandon his 
threats of more tax hikes, and join with us in the House in supporting 
those policies that put our economic recovery in the hands of the 
people of the Fifth District and all Americans instead of the Federal 
Government.

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