Political Quotes

“I rise to speak on behalf of the amendment I have offered which would waive the job-killing fines in the reconciliation bill in cases where an employer hires an unemployed worker. I think these penalties will come as a surprise to most Americans. With unemployment at 9.7 percent, and a real concern that we may be on the brink of a double-dip recession, most Americans will be shocked to learn that Washington wants to slap fines on small businesses that choose to hire more workers. But the new health care law does exactly that. Incredibly, this reconciliation package makes this problem even worse. Here is how. In the reconciliation package, small businesses that cannot afford to provide health insurance to their employees would be fined $2,000 for each worker on their payroll. The way the formula works, the fines kick in at $40,000 when a small business reaches 50 employees. After that, they go up at a rate of $2,000 for each new worker. Imagine what this will do to job growth. Our country relies on small businesses to create new jobs. In fact, time and time again, you will hear on the Senate floor that small businesses are the engine of the American economy. I certainly agree with that. But this reconciliation bill creates a wall--40,000 dollars high--around any small business that wants to grow past 49 workers. Think what these job-killing penalties will mean to the unemployed. More than 8 million Americans have lost their jobs since 2007.”