Washington, D.C. – Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-13) has called for an end to the job-killing policies that have contributed to high unemployment rates in Florida. Unemployment numbers released today show that Florida’s unemployment rate rose from 11.8 percent in August to 11.9 percent in September.

“More than a year after the trillion-dollar stimulus package was signed into law, people are still hurting,” said Buchanan. “We can’t tax and spend our way to prosperity. We need to reduce spending, lower taxes, and help small businesses, which create most of the jobs.”

Buchanan has proposed a five-point jobs plan to get the economy moving and put Florida families back to work. The Congressman’s bill would provide targeted tax relief, debt reduction and legal reform to help create jobs and boost the economy.

“I’m a businessman not a career politician,” said Buchanan. “I have experience with starting businesses and creating jobs. Less spending and extending the tax cuts so that small business and working families can keep more of their hard earned money to invest in the economy and will help put Americans back to work.”

In Florida’s 13th Congressional District, unemployment rose from 12.4 percent to 12.5 percent in Sarasota County and 14.7 percent to 14.8 percent in Hardee County, remained at 13.1 percent in Charlotte County and improved slightly from 12.9 percent to 12.6 percent in Manatee County and 13.3 percent to 13.0 percent in DeSoto County.