U.S. CONGRESSMAN MIKE THOMPSON | REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA'S FIFTH DISTRICT

Jobs & Economy

We’ve come a long way since the recession took hold, but we still need to do more.  To reach full recovery, we have to build on the progress we’ve made and do more of what’s working to keep our economy growing. That’s why we have to keep supporting additional measures to rebuild our economy – investments in infrastructure, tax benefits for small businesses, and incentives to spur American innovation. 

To create good-paying jobs, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 992, the Building American Jobs Act of 2011, which extends eight successful bond, tax credit, and loan guarantee programs to help finance much needed infrastructure improvements in California and other states. Some of these bonds, including the recently-expired Build America Bonds, have been used to finance construction and infrastructure projects in our district.

I have also introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1982, The Community Forestry Conservation Act, which will help preserve the working forests that so many people in California depend on for employment.  This common sense legislation would provide a financing mechanism to protect our nation’s forests for future generations and preserve and create jobs in rural communities.   This legislation will ensure that sustainable forestry management practices are maintained, so that renewable working forests are preserved – creating jobs for decades.  It is a win-win for the environment and the economy.

As a member of the Blue Dog Task Force on Oversight and Regulatory Review, I am also working with my colleagues to identify and modify overly burdensome federal regulations that could stifle economic growth and job creation. Federal government agencies issue over 8,000 regulations a year, often times without consulting other agencies that might have issued similar – or possibly contradictory – measures. The Task Force provides oversight to identify regulations that might hurt the creation of jobs.

In addition to creating new jobs and opportunities for the future, I also recognize the need to provide immediate assistance to families that are currently struggling with unemployment. In the 111^th Congress, I supported the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, which provides employers with tax incentives and bonus payments for hiring and retaining new workers. I also supported legislation extending unemployment benefits until the end of 2011 – ensuring that unemployed workers who lost their job through no fault of their own have the resources they need to get back on their feet.  

Obviously, we cannot solve our economic problems through acts of Congress alone. We need to restore confidence in our economy, so that banks will start lending, businesses will start hiring, and people will get back to work. Helping hard-working Americans find good jobs is my number one priority. In Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues to help turn our economy around and put people back to work – plain and simple.