CLAIM: Republicans haven’t been willing to work with the president on jobs legislation.
- “With or without this Congress, I will keep taking actions that help the economy grow.” (President Obama, State of the Union Address, January 24, 2012)
FACT: President Obama clearly can’t run on his record so he is looking for someone to blame. House Republicans have repeatedly worked to find common ground with the president and Senate Democrats, and have passed several bipartisan elements of the president’s jobs plan that have been signed into law.
- In an October memo to House Republicans, Republican leaders outlined several areas of potential common ground with the president. Read it here.
- Several proposals supported by President Obama have passed the House and been signed into law, including three bipartisan trade pacts, a bipartisan veterans hiring bill, and a repeal of the IRS withholding tax on job creators.
- The House also passed the full-year extension of the payroll tax cut wanted by President Obama. The bill included a full-year extension of unemployment insurance and reforms, and a critical business expensing provision (that would help create new jobs) that is also supported by the president.
- On the other hand, the president’s jobs council has embraced many of the jobs proposals advocated by Republicans only to be ignored by the president himself.
- And the Democratic-controlled Senate is sitting on nearly 30 bipartisan House-passed jobs bills – including proposals supported by the president.
BOEHNER QUOTE: “The American people expect us to bring together the best of both parties’ ideas, and it is our desire to work together to find common ground between your ideas and ours.” (Letter from Republican Leaders to President Obama, 9/9/11)