Congressman Cantor: Today’s Report Underscores How Important It Is That We Focus On Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Eric Cantor (VA-07) released the following statement on the national unemployment report for the month of November: 

"Today’s unemployment report underscores how important it is that we focus on jobs. Millions of hardworking Americans are fixated on finding a job, yet President Obama is fixated on taking more money from those that could hire them. 7.7% is simply not going to cut it. 122,000 people lost jobs last month. Nearly 350,000 Americans gave up hope entirely and left the workforce. We must not prioritize big government spending over policies that will create opportunity for working men and women. Otherwise, our economy will never fully recover. 

“Over the coming days and weeks, we will debate how we avoid the looming fiscal cliff. But around kitchen tables across America, families are facing their own fiscal cliffs and the President wants to make it harder on them. The best way to help them is to get serious, and find a reasonable solution to the tax, spending and debt problem. This way, recent graduates can find a job, the economy can recover and small businesses can plan for expansion rather than more layoffs. Instead, we are discussing tax rate hikes and permanent debt limit increases that even Senate Democrats don’t support. President Obama needs to accept the middle ground that Republicans have offered, and help us avoid the economic threat ahead. 

“When we get past the fiscal cliff debate, our job won’t be over. House Republicans will continue to focus on getting the engine of our economy humming again by removing roadblocks to job growth. When a business with 49 employees can’t hire a 50th because of ObamaCare, that’s not right. When a store manager is short staffed because looming tax hikes and uncertainty are stalling her hiring, that’s not right. When 7.7% is cause for celebration, we know there is more work to be done. We must do better.”