Governor Jack Markell said the American Jobs Act that President Obama proposed this evening offered a series of concrete proposals to get Americans back to work and help move the nation’s economy forward both now and in the future.

“The President made clear that creating jobs and keeping people working remains job one. He challenged the Congress tonight to put aside any personal agendas and move forward to help companies hire, help small businesses grow, create opportunities for people out of work to get back to work and put more money in the pockets of working families,” Markell said. ““There are responsible, targeted and economically sound proposals here to get people to work.“

Markell appreciated that while the President’s plan focused on getting people back to work quickly, aspects of the plan took a broader view on the need to invest in the areas most critical for our nation’s long-term economic growth – public education and improvements in infrastructure like roads and bridges that are critical for commerce.

“While so much of the economic debate has focused inward – on what’s going on within our borders – our nation is also in the middle of a critical competition with other countries to attract the best jobs and economic opportunities of the immediate future. Companies want to locate and expand where there are schools graduating students who are ready to succeed. They need to be in places with infrastructure strong enough to let them get their products to market quickly. The President’s plan keeps people working to ensure America is better positioned in those areas, so that an economic recovery can be sustained,” Markell said.

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