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 Monday, January 04, 2010
Hartford, WI – During his Washington County Listening Session today – his first listening session of 2010 – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced that his ongoing effort to create jobs and control government spending will top his priority list for 2010. Feingold will work to advance his proposals to create jobs, including a jobs tax credit and his E4 Initiative to strengthen Wisconsin’s economy, which had some significant victories in 2009. He is also working to build on the early successes he has had with his major legislation to slash the deficit, The Control Spending Now Act, in the year ahead.
“While there are some signs that the economy is making a slow recovery, it can’t come fast enough for Wisconsin families who are struggling with unemployment and financial worries,” Feingold said. “Congress must do more to boost this economy, and that has to include strong proposals to create more jobs. That’s why I’ll make passage of a jobs tax credit, and more victories on my E4 Initiative to boost Wisconsin’s economy, top priorities in 2010.” Feingold is currently drafting a proposal to create a jobs tax credit, which would provide firms a tax credit for expanding their payroll through hiring more people, raising pay, or just expanding hours of work. The Economic Policy Institute estimates a jobs tax credit along the lines they’ve proposed would result in an additional five million jobs over the two years of the credit. As Feingold works on that effort, he also seeks to build on the E4 victories he had in 2009, including legislation to expand the type of projects eligible for an energy efficiency upgrade program, prioritize federal small business research funding in areas like energy and water quality, which puts Wisconsin at a strategic advantage and move energy technologies to market. Feingold will continue to press Congress to pass more of the E4 Initiative to support small businesses, improving workforce development and help Wisconsin workers and businesses succeed in a 21st century economy. “To get this country back on track, we’ve got to not only strengthen this economy, we’ve got to get reckless budgeting and wasteful spending under control,” Feingold said. “I introduced the Control Spending Now Act to cut the deficit by half a trillion dollars, and we’ve already had some victories at cutting spending. But that’s just the beginning – just like we did in the 1990s, Congress needs to buckle down and cut wasteful programs that cheat the taxpayer and add to our massive deficit.” The Control Spending Now Act includes more than 40 provisions to reduce the deficit by reforming the budget process and cutting waste across the federal government. The recently passed health care reform bill included three provisions of the Control Spending Now Act, which would collectively save tens of billions of dollars in health care costs having to do with prescription drug costs. Feingold will work for more victories in the New Year to go after corporate welfare, wasteful subsidies, and budget practices abuse taxpayer dollars. Click here to read more about progress on the Control Spending Now Act. Feingold’s listening session was held at the Schauer Arts and Activities Center in Hartford, WI. It was Feingold’s first listening session of 2010 and his 1225th since 1993. |
