Sam Gibbons: “Mr. Speaker, working Americans deserve tax relief, and I am glad to see that this bill takes needed steps in that…”

“Mr. Speaker, working Americans deserve tax relief, and I am glad to see that this bill takes needed steps in that direction. We have heard a lot in this Congress about encouraging work, a goal I strongly support, and I am happy to say that extending the targeted jobs tax credit will encourage work. This credit, now named the work opportunity tax credit, will give employers the proper incentive to hire those who might not find work otherwise. Continued education will enhance workers' skills and enable them and their companies to prosper in an ever more competitive economy. Extending the tax deduction for employer-provided educational assistance will encourage businesses and individuals to invest in the most valuable kind of capital, human capital. I also support enhanced pension security for American workers, and am glad that the bill takes steps in that direction. The bill guarantees that workers in multiemployer pension plans, such as construction workers, will not lose their pension benefits after 5 years instead of 10.”