During this time of economic uncertainty and instability, American families are struggling to make ends meet.

Across the country, many are asking, “When will I find a job?” “How will I pay my mortgage?” “Will I be able to retire?”

We all want to see our economic challenges disappear and our economy once again prosper. But the so-called “solutions” put forth by President Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress have done little more than expand the size and scope of the federal government, impose massive tax and regulatory burdens on small businesses, and bloat our federal debt and deficits.

Time and again, we have watched this administration and the Democratic leadership in Congress fail to live up to their own rhetoric.

The more they do to “help,” the more our economy struggles.

President Obama promised that the billions of stimulus dollars spent would keep the unemployment rate under 8.5 percent. Today, our national unemployment rate is a whopping 9.5 percent — and it’s even higher in Florida (11.5 percent).

What’s more, the Democrats’ refusal to pass a federal budget this year, and their inaction on addressing the roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the subprime mortgage meltdown, prove that when it comes to actually making tough decisions, they’d rather run for the hills.

Perhaps realizing their heavy-handed attempts at stabilizing the economy have failed, Democrats in Washington have decided to do nothing rather than proactively seek free-market solutions to our economic crisis.

The Democratic leadership in Congress is poised to wreak even more havoc by allowing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to expire at the end of this year.

If the tax cuts are not extended by Dec. 31, the American people will face one of the largest tax increases in our nation’s history. Allowing tax rates to revert back to pre-2001 levels will have a disastrous effect on small businesses, seniors and hardworking American families.

What this means for you is if you have children, the tax deduction you can claim on each child will be cut in half from $1,000 to $500.

If you are married, the marriage penalty in the standard deduction will be reinstated, costing an average of $595 in higher taxes every year for millions of couples.

If you fall into the 10 percent tax bracket, your tax rate will rise to 15 percent, costing an average of $503 in higher taxes every year.

And if you are a senior citizen with capital gains or dividend income, you will end up paying an average of $1,700 more in higher taxes — a particularly onerous burden if you’re on a fixed income.

Raising taxes is never a good idea, but this is especially true in today’s economic climate.

This looming $3.8 trillion tax increase will snuff out what little recovery our economy has experienced.

Even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has stated that keeping the tax cuts at their present levels would strengthen economic growth next year and lower unemployment.

That’s why I strongly support making these tax cuts permanent and cutting the reckless spending in Washington.

Doing so will allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money and invest it in the free market.

American businesses and entrepreneurs, and not the federal government, are the ones who create jobs and will get our economy moving again. But overtaxing them will do neither.

Sadly, the Democratic leadership in Congress has not made any effort to bring legislation to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote to extend these critical tax cuts.

With only a few weeks of time scheduled for votes before the November elections, the clock is ticking, and the people of Southwest Florida and our nation are waiting.

— U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, represents District 14, including Lee County.