WASHINGTON - Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) and Human Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) issued the following statements regarding the April jobs report released today:
“Today’s report brings encouraging news that our economic recovery continues to take hold, with the strongest private-sector job growth in years during April," said Committee Ranking Member Levin. “The manufacturing sector has played a significant role, adding 141,000 jobs so far this year. Yet far too many Americans continue to look for jobs that simply aren’t there, and Republicans showed this week that the only job they are eager to pursue is a hatchet job on the unemployment insurance program. The legislation they introduced Thursday to end this year’s guaranteed benefit for the long-term unemployed swipes money from those battling to makes ends meet during this recovery."
“The problem is not the unemployed-it’s unemployment, and today’s job numbers show that while some sectors have seen encouraging growth, it remainsa problem," said Subcommittee Ranking Member Doggett. “Despite being in the majority going on five months, Republicans have offered no ‘jobs’ bill. Instead, yesterday they launched a surprise assault on the jobless-falsely labeled a ‘JOBS’ Act-that creates no new jobs and instead, encourages states to terminate assistance to 4 million long-term unemployed Americans. Instead of focusing on ways to help folks find work, Republicans are taking from the unemployed to give to state governments that failed to manage their budgets or to prepare for recession."
