December 17, 2013

Senator Manchin and Congressman Cicilline Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Focus on Job Growth

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) today introduced commonsense legislation that would help Washington stay focused on what matters most to hardworking Americans: creating and protecting American jobs.

Under current law, the government must “score” pieces of legislation to estimate the cost. Manchin and Cicilline’s legislation would require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to also determine the number of jobs that would be created, protected, or lost should a specific piece of legislation become law. This bill will make debates about jobs more transparent and concrete, giving lawmakers a solid basis of information for decision-making.

“Although America’s unemployment numbers have slowly declined from the beginning of the worst recession since the Great Depression, there are still too many hardworking Americans out of work. There should not be a higher priority in Congress than creating jobs right here at home, and it’s time that lawmakers start thinking about one simple question before they cast their votes: how will this bill impact jobs and job growth in America?” Senator Manchin said. “The Jobs Score Act is a piece of commonsense legislation that will ensure our elected representatives know exactly how many jobs would be created, protected or lost with each bill.”

“My top priority in Congress is to strengthen our economy through job creation, and it is critical that we know the likely impact our decisions in Congress will have on employment across our nation,” said Cicilline. “I am proud to have worked with Senator Manchin in leading bipartisan efforts in both chambers, and look forward to continuing working for passage of this law and doing everything I can to get our economy back on track and get Rhode Islanders back to work."

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