Jobs & Small Business
For too long, middle class Americans have watched their incomes stagnate, even as worker productivity has skyrocketed. In other words, Americans have been working harder, working smarter and still struggle. We must make our economy work for all of us. To that end, I am working with my colleagues in the Senate to make investments that will create jobs today and build a stronger, fairer economy for years to come.
The Economy
I believe that it is crucial that we help middle class and working class families so that we can get back on track to responsible growth. We need to create and save jobs while investing in the long-term growth of our economy.
In 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which directly supported almost 22,000 jobs in New Mexico and provided roughly 95 percent of New Mexico households with a tax cut.
This was just a first step, and we have a long way to go. We need to continue to focus on rebuilding a strong middle class. Since then I have been fighting to support tax breaks for middle class families and to provide small businesses with the resources they need to grow and create more jobs.
Empowering Small Businesses
Small businesses are big employers. In the past 15 years, two-thirds of all new jobs were created by small businesses. In New Mexico, these businesses drive our economy. We need to help them every way we can. I strongly support policies that target tax breaks and incentives for small businesses to hire new employees. I introduced legislation to expand federal contracting opportunities for small businesses to compete for government projects. I also supported the Small Business Jobs Act, which expanded lending programs for small businesses to help them grow.
Creating Clean Energy Jobs
New Mexico has great potential to be a leader in the clean energy economy. There are 16.7 jobs created for every $1 million invested in clean energy as opposed to only 5.3 jobs for a $1 million investment in fossil fuels. With year-round sunshine and a bounty of wind, we have an opportunity to create thousands of new jobs in New Mexico. Harnessing power from our renewable resources also makes our nation more secure. I'm fighting for legislation that provides investments in clean energy and incentives for entrepreneurs to develop the energy-capturing technology of tomorrow.
Promoting Our Tourism Economy
Tourism is New Mexico's second biggest industry, generating $7.8 billion in sales in 2011. This economic engine is one major reason why we need to invest in and protect our state's natural beauty, which draws millions of visitors each year. I also co-sponsored the Travel Promotion Act to help promote our destinations abroad and bring more foreign tourism spending to the U.S.