Press Releases

Momentum is building for the American Jobs Act of 2013, an updated and expanded version of President Obama’s 2011 comprehensive jobs plan introduced by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24). Seventy-five Members of Congress have joined the bill as co-sponsors.

According to independent analysts including Moody’s Economy, the American Jobs Act would mean up to 1.9 million new jobs. The bill would provide tax cuts to tens of millions of low- to moderate-income Americans and stop layoffs of teachers, firefighters, and other public workers. To ensure that the bill does not add to the federal budget deficit, it includes a series of cost-saving changes to the taxation of hedge fund investment income as well as cuts to corporate subsidies. In addition to the provisions from President Obama’s original bill, the new 2013 American Jobs Act includes a simple provision to cancel the reckless, across-the-board budget cuts known as Sequestration for the coming fiscal years.

“Today’s jobs report demonstrates that we still have tremendous work to do for our nation’s jobless and, in particular, for the long-term unemployed,” said Congresswoman Wilson. “The number of people unemployed for 27 weeks or longer remains unchanged at 4.2 million. This is a national crisis, and the American Jobs Act presents a sensible and immediate solution.”

Members of Congress co-sponsoring Congresswoman Wilson’s American Jobs Act of 2013 include Democratic Leader Pelosi, Democratic Assistant Leader Clyburn, Democratic National Committee Chair Wasserman Schultz, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Fudge, Congressional Black Caucus Dean Conyers, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Grijalva and Ellison, and Representatives Cicilline, Enyart, Hanabusa, DeLauro, Holmes Norton, Bass, Butterfield, Sewell, Richmond, Brown, Christensen, Cardenas, B. Lee, Napolitano, Takano, Frankel, Clarke, R. Brady, Tonko, Holt, Sablan, Cartwright, Nadler, Schakowsky, Shea-Porter, Larson, Payne, McGovern, E. B. Johnson, Rush, Moore, Veasey, Beatty, Kelly, A. Green, R. Scott, D. Scott, H. Johnson, D. Edwards, Rangel, Jackson-Lee, Jeffries, Bishop, Cleaver, D. Davis, B. Thompson, A. Carson, Waters, Watt, Lewis, Gutierrez, W. L. Clay, Cummings, J. Garcia, B. McCollum, Fattah, Meeks, Deutch, Blumenauer, G. Miller, Chu, Maloney, Pocan, Cohen, and Yarmuth.

Organizations including the AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union, the United Auto Workers, the American Federation of State, Federal, and Municipal Employees, the American Federation of Teachers, Communication Workers of America, the National Education Association, and the International Association of Firefighters have endorsed the American Jobs Act of 2013.

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Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson is a second-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school. Along with Congressman Bill Posey, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, Congresswoman Wilson serves as founding Co-Chair of the Florida Ports Caucus, a bipartisan taskforce that coordinates federal action in support of Florida’s harbors and waterways.