Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (FL-16) forcefully called on President Obama and Democrats in Congress to abandon their plans to raise taxes on small businesses after the Department of Labor announced that unemployment spiked to 9.8 percent in November.

“When will Democrats finally decide they’ve had enough of sticking it to small businesses?” Rooney asked.  “This has been one of the most anti-business, anti-small business Congresses and Administrations in our nation’s history, and the numbers tell the story.  Nineteen straight months of 9.4 percent unemployment or higher, the longest stretch since the Great Depression.

“The American people spoke loud and clear on November 2, and they have had enough of this Congress and this Administration punishing small businesses who are trying to make ends meet and hire new workers.  No more new taxes, no more costly mandates, no more excessive regulation.

“Congress should act immediately to extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, so that small businesses and job creators can have the stability they need to grow and hire new workers.  Then we need to begin rolling back the new taxes and costly mandates of the last two years, so we can get the federal government off the backs and out of the wallets of our small businesses.” 

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