Congressional Reaction to Obama's Jobs Speech

After Obama finished his jobs speech tonight, members of Congress have begun sending out press releases reacting to the speech. Steny Hoyer, for instance, highlighted how the Democrats in the House of Representatives have already proposed the Make It In America plan, which includes several of the concepts that Obama spoke about in his speech.

“Tonight the President laid out his plan to create jobs and grow the economy through the American Jobs Act. He reminded us that everyone should have the chance to 'make it in America' through hard work, and how many fear those days are gone.

“That’s why House Democrats developed the Make It In America plan: to restore the manufacturing engine that made our country great, and to renew the faith that working Americans can succeed. This plan includes several proposals the President discussed tonight, such as the creation of an infrastructure bank to facilitate investments in the roads and bridges that businesses need to thrive, and worker training to give Americans the skills they need to fill jobs that are available now, as well as those of tomorrow.

“The American Jobs Act will be paid for. Reducing the deficit is one of the most important things we can do to strengthen our economy, but we must create jobs for our people. If we don’t, we will not be able to balance our budget. The President laid out a path tonight for doing both.

“Many of the ideas in the Make It In America plan and that the President discussed are supported by both parties, business and labor. The American Jobs Act can and should be passed swiftly through Congress. Americans cannot wait any longer for us to take action.”

Perhaps in a sign of how Republicans in the House of Representatives remain in opposition to the President's plans, Rep. John Kline (the Chairman of the Education and Worforce Committee) issued a statement that expressed opposition to the President's education policy.

“At its core, education is a jobs issue, and we must encourage policies that help prepare today’s students to join tomorrow’s workforce. More stimulus spending is not the right solution to our nation’s jobs crisis. Common sense tells us that putting the federal government in the business of school construction will only lead to higher costs and more regulations. It also tells us that another teacher union bailout will not ensure a quality education for our children.

“My colleagues on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce have been working together on a new way forward for the nation’s education system. Our efforts center on reducing federal intervention in classrooms, supporting effective teachers, streamlining education spending, encouraging innovation, and putting decisions back in the hands of state and local officials. Rather than renew his support for the failed policies of the past, the president should join our efforts to chart a better course for our children’s future.”

This statement doesn't specifically highlight anything that Obama spoke about during his speech tonight, so it will be interesting to see if Kline or other Republicans of the education committee address some of the proposals he made -- like having funding to repair schools or keep teachers employeed. This could be important as Kline's committee might have to deal with portions of the bill that relate to education. I'm not entirely sure if that will happen (or if it necessary should right now), however, as I know most of the education focused Congressmen are working on a charter school bill (HR 2218) right now as well as a series of bills to reform No Child Left Behind.

There's obviously a lot of controversy surrounding those bills right now, so it wouldn't surprise me if staffers and individual Members of Congress are more focused on those bills than Obama's speech. As Kline said in his release, however, "education is a jobs issue" so it would be great to see where he comes down on the specific proposals Obama has made.

As more Members release statements or if Kline actually wants to comment on specifics, I'll make sure to post updates if they are noteworthy.