Economy and Jobs

Generating jobs and strengthening the economy is one of my top priorities in Congress. Ensuring that our economy improves is vital and no political party has a monopoly on good ideas. Here in Southern Arizona, we have a unique and diverse economy. From high tech and bioscience to our military and defense industry, our burgeoning industry of solar, we have a lot of places to look to grow our economy. 

As a former small business owner, I am committed to working with local business to make sure they have the resources they need to be successful.

If you are having trouble receiving unemployment or other benefits, please click here, or contact Congressman Barber's offices in Tucson at 520-881-3588 or in Sierra Vista at 520-459-3115. If you are looking for resources for small businesses, click here.

Supporting Small Business

Small businesses are critical to a robust Arizona economy and play a key role in its recovery.  They drive innovation and create jobs. As a member of the House Small Business Committee and a former small business owner, Congressman Barber understands the challenges of making payroll and expanding a business in difficult economic times and will continue to fight to promote opportunity and prosperity for all Southern Arizona businesses and workers. He is also member of the House Small Business Caucus, a bipartisan group of members that support policies to encourage small business growth and development.

Women's Economic Opportunity

Congressman Barber is committed to supporting policies that ensure equality in the workplace and help women-owned businesses grow and succeed. As a member of the House Committee on Small Business, he is in a unique position to pursue these objectives.

Congressman Barber supports equal pay for equal work. As long as women are not paid the same wages for doing the same jobs as men, women do not have equality in the workplace. He believes that we can do better for all working women. Shortchanging women on the job doesn’t just deprive them of a fair wage, it is an issue that affects every family with a working wife or mother – and today, that is most American families. The continuing inequality is even more striking because families increasingly rely on a women’s income to make ends meet – and because 40 percent of women are primary breadwinners in their homes. Congressman Barber Barber is a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which closes loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, stiffens consequences for employers who discriminate based on gender and ensures that women are accurately compensated for their work.

Congressman Barber also introduced the Women’s Procurement Program Equalization Act, in June. Women-owned businesses receive only about 4 percent of federal-government contracts. Aiming to increase that number, the Women’s Procurement Program Equalization Act  sets aside certain contracts to be awarded only to women-owned businesses. The bill was strongly endorsed and supported by the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

Fighting for the Middle Class

With the economy still in recovery, hardworking families in Southern Arizona are feeling the burden of low wages and ever-increasing costs. Our country has a long history of supporting the middle class and Congressman Barber believes must continue this commitment. With every issue Congressman Barber faces in Congress – from health care to education to energy – he is focused on increasing affordability and rebuilding the middle class. That’s why he supports extending the tax cuts enacted in 2009 that provided more than $2 billion in tax relief for Arizona’s middle class and military families, including the child tax credit and tax credits to help families pay for college. 

Promoting Clean Energy Jobs

Ending our dependence on foreign oil and promoting renewable energy is critical to our national security and economic growth. Arizona is one of the nation’s sunniest states, with Tucson being one of the nation’s sunniest cities. Our state has the potential to become a world leader in the research, development, and production of solar power and to bring clean energy manufacturing jobs to Arizona. As a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus, Congressman Barber is working with his colleagues in Congress to invest more in renewable energy like solar and create the good-paying jobs of the future.

Congressman Barber has also relaunched the Solar Power 101 series in Southern Arizona. Solar 101 was started in November 2007 by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. These community programs provide vital how-to information to those interested in finding out more about solar. Congressman Barber had solar panels installed on his own home and has seen firsthand what a difference it makes in reducing energy costs.