With jobs in mind, President Obama urges extension of transportation bill
Following a poor showing in the monthly jobs report, which yielded zero net job growth and an unchanged 9.1% unemployment rate in August, President Obama urged Congressional action on yet another piece of legislation with an impact on American jobs: the transportation bill.
The President warned that failure to extend the bill would result in the loss of thousands of construction jobs:
"At the end of September, if Congress doesn't act, funding for our roads and bridges will expire. This would put a stop to highway construction, bridge repair, mass transit systems and other important projects that keep our country moving quickly and safely. And it would affect thousands of construction workers and their families who depend on the jobs created by these projects to make ends meet."
President Obama, who is asking for immediate action once Congress returns from its break next week, laid out the consequences of failing to extend the transportation bill:
"Allowing this bill to expire would be a disaster for our infrastructure and our economy. Right away, over 4,000 workers would b furloughed without pay. If it's delayed for just 10 days, we will lose nearly $1 billion in highway funding that we can never get back. And if we wait even longer, almost one million workers could be in danger of losing their jobs over the next year.
These are serious consequences and the pain will be felt all across the country. In Virginia, 19,000 jobs are at risk, in Minnesota, more than 12,000; and in Florida, over 35,000 people could be out of work if Congress doesn't act."
President Obama's Weekly Address
