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Congressman Garamendi Says Republican No Jobs Budget Proposal Would Harm Millions of Americans and Stifle Innovation

February 15, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA) today issued the below statement about the House Republican continuing resolution and President Obama's proposed budget. On Twitter, Garamendi is posting 14 tweets a day – one tweet for every million Americans looking for work – about ways the House Republican budget harms America.

Garamendi's statement is below:

"The more I read through the House Republican continuing resolution, the more I'm convinced they designed this destructive 'budget' with a dart board. This reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous bill threatens American jobs and America's future prosperity by blindly slashing critical investments in education, research, transportation, and public safety. We need to Make It In America and bring back good manufacturing jobs in this country, but this no jobs budget destroys hundreds of thousands of jobs at a time when 14 million Americans are still struggling to find work.

"The House Republican continuing resolution cuts threaten to stifle job creation by gutting key investments. Instead of moving America forward, the GOP budget proposal would put this country in reverse. Under the House Republican plan, more than 200,000 children would be kicked out of Head Start and thousands of teachers would lose their jobs; 20,000 fewer researchers would be supported at the National Science Foundation, stifling the innovative research that creates next generation jobs; 25,000 new construction jobs would be lost and 76 projects in 40 states would be cancelled; there would be 1,330 fewer cops on the beat and 2,400 fewer firefighters on the job; AmeriCorps' effective services to our country would be eliminated; and needed food programs like WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) would be decimated.

"As President Obama said at his State of the Union, we must out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. We Must Make It In America if we're going to make it in America, and that requires many of the smart investments found in the President's budget proposal. I'm especially pleased to see the President renew his commitment to education, transit systems, and energy research. Unfortunately, there are parts of the President's budget that give me significant reservation – including deep cuts to critical food assistance, job training, and home heating assistance. If we're going to talk about 'shared sacrifice' as we mandate deep cuts in basic food and shelter needs, let's at least revisit the wasteful war in Afghanistan, tax giveaway s for millionaires and billionaires, and subsidies to Fortune 500 oil companies.

"The teachers that educate our children, the firefighters and police officers that protect our homes, the nurses and doctors that manage our clinics, the construction workers that maintain our roads, the engineers that design jobs-creating clean energy, and the middle and working class parents raising the Americans of tomorrow – they're all at risk in this budget battle. I am only one of 535 voices in Congress, but so long as I represent thousands of people desperately seeking a job in this difficult economy, I will do all I can to make my voice heard."