We need sustainable, long-term job growth

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the national unemployment rate rose from 9.7 percent to 9.9 percent in April with 290,000 jobs created throughout the month.

Every month when these numbers are released we are again reminded of President Obama’s promise that the unemployment rate would not rise above 8 percent if the so-called stimulus plan were enacted. A trillion dollars and more than a year later, unemployment rates are still hovering around 10 percent.

Certainly, any positive job growth is good news. But my concern is that this is not long-term, sustainable job growth. Many of these jobs are temporary Census positions that will be over in a few months. As Americans get back into the job market, there need to be permanent jobs for them, permanent jobs that come from small businesses. These are the same small businesses that are being burdened by new taxes and increasing levels of uncertainty from the federal government.

The Democrat’s relentless spending spree is jeopardizing our nation’s economic recovery. The American people are tired of Washington playing fast and loose with their hard-earned tax dollars. It’s not honest, and it’s not fair to our children and grandchildren who will have to pay for all this spending. The extreme events in Greece and the threat of yet another bailout are just an example of what can happen when a country racks up massive debt on its credit card without the ability to pay for it.

The federal government needs to focus on decreasing this uncertainty by saying no to policies that will add new taxes and mandates and restrict credit so that small businesses can begin hiring. Decreasing uncertainty also starts with decreasing the federal budget deficit. House Republicans stand ready to work on policies that will create sustainable jobs, cut federal spending, provide tax-relief for working families and small businesses and bring back fiscal sanity in Washington.

Saving Money Where We Can

I am always looking for opportunities to curb government spending, even if they are small. Last week in the Financial Services and Science and Technology Committees, I had the opportunity to introduce a few amendments to bills that were up for a vote. In Financial Services, my amendment would have prohibited the creation of two new federal government insurance programs that could potentially cost up to $200 billion. In Science and Technology Committee, I offered an amendment that would delay the implementation of new federal programs in the America COMPETES Act until the government is no longer running a deficit. As you know, the deficit is currently projected to continue hitting, $1 trillion or more each year for the foreseeable future. At a time when we are borrowing 41 cents for every dollar the federal government spends, we simply cannot afford many of these new programs. Until the Congressional Budget Office certifies to Congress in writing that we no longer have a budget deficit, it would be irresponsible of us to move forward by adding to our nation's state of fiscal disrepair.

The amendments I offered to stop new programs and higher spending are not going to balance the budget on their own. However, if every Member of Congress took action in their committees to question whether we can afford new programs or afford spending more on existing programs, we could make a huge impact on the deficit and the size of the federal government.

Some of these new programs may sound good or may not cost a lot on their own, but Congress must consider how much we are already borrowing and spending before we grow government further. As we struggle to control the ballooning deficit, I will be taking a closer look at the bills going through my committees, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. The bottom line is that Congress has to wake up and ask whether the taxpayers can afford these new or expanded programs. And the answer is that we simply cannot.