WASHINGTON, DC—Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today released the following statement on the Department of Labor report showing that the unemployment rate dropped sharply in November to 8.6 percent:
“Today’s jobs report is a positive development. Although the unemployment rate is still too high, the fact that it’s now at its lowest point since the first quarter of President Obama’s Administration is a hopeful sign that our economic recovery is taking hold.
“Last week, I joined Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer in sending a letter to Speaker John Boehner to urge him to work with us in a bipartisan manner to pass major economic legislation by the end of the year. In addition to appropriations legislation to fund essential services for the American people, Congress must pass the extension of unemployment insurance for people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, extension and expansion of the payroll tax holiday to prevent a tax increase for working Americans and extension of the SGR “doctors’ fix” to ensure that millions of seniors do not lose access to their Medicare physicians.
“Time is running out for Congress to act on these important matters to help grow our economy and create jobs and opportuni