Reigniting the American Dream, New Youth Employment Initiative

Extending the Payroll Tax Cut
Yesterday marked one year of the Republican majority in the House. Instead of passing legislation to put Americans back to work, over the last 367 days they have voted to end the Medicare guarantee, slash college aid, and repeal health insurance for young people and children while protecting tax breaks for millionaires and companies that ship jobs overseas.

House Democrats will continue to support initiatives to create jobs, revitalize our economy, and strengthen the middle class. We are committed to reigniting the American dream by building ladders of opportunity and tearing down barriers to success for anyone willing to work hard, play by the rules, and take responsibility. As we enter into the New Year, we will continue to work to make the American dream a reality for all.

Today, the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 200,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent. With 212,000 jobs added by private businesses, this marks the 22nd consecutive month of private sector job growth. This jobs report is a step in the right direction, but more must be done. Congress must take action to create good-paying jobs and aid our economic recovery.

New Youth Employment Initiative
This week, the Administration announced a new Summer Jobs+ initiative to put young people to work gaining skills, knowledge, and experience. Summer jobs are a centerpiece of President Obama’s American Jobs Act, which Republicans in the House have refused to bring to the floor for a vote. By working with business leaders and local communities to create youth jobs, President Obama is investing in the strength of our nation, our economy, and our future.

Congresswoman Pelosi meets with her constituents Anthony Makk and Bradford Wells. This week, Anthony, an Australian citizen, was permitted to remain in the U.S to care for his husband, Bradford.

Casework Corner
As an example of how my office can assist constituents, one of my caseworkers in San Francisco assisted United States citizen Bradford Wells with his immigration petition for his bi-national spouse Anthony Makk to remain in the United States. Anthony would have faced deportation because of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, even though he has lived in the United States for more than 20 years, has no criminal history, has never lived here illegally and is the primary caregiver to his husband. The Obama Administration’s recent efforts to prioritize immigration enforcement for the removal of criminals and others who pose a threat to national security helped pave the way for this positive resolution.

Please feel free to forward this information to your family and friends. To learn more about these efforts, to express your views, or to sign up for email updates, please visit my website. I am also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NancyPelosi.