Delaware Governor supports Obama’s American Jobs Act

While the President continues to push for his $447 billion American Jobs Act over the coming weeks, it seems the bill he’s urged Congress to pass “right away,” already has local support.

In an effort to turn up the heat on Congress, the White House recruited local Democrats Delaware Governor Jack Markell, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to take part in a conference call Thursday afternoon. All three leaders are siding with the President for the measure’s passage; a move Obama says willl create jobs and get the economy moving.

“The time is now to put people back to work,” said Gov. Markell. “We’re working very hard on it in Delaware and it sure would help to have a strong national economy at our back. And I think the President’s job bill is a very, very important step.”

According to the White House, if passed, the American Jobs Act in Delaware would:

Provide tax relief to 20-thousand Delaware firms in the form of a payroll tax cut to 3.1% for employers on the first $5 million in wages
Invest $134 million to modernize Delaware’s highways, transit, rail and aviation creating approximately 1,700 local jobs
Provide $83 million to support as many as 1,100 educator and first responder jobs
Cut workers’ payroll taxes in half next year so a typical household in the state, with a median income of $52-thousand, will receive a tax cut of about $1,610.

All of this, Gov. Markell reiterated, is dependent on whether Congress passes the bill.

When the question, ‘What happens if lawmakers fail to pass the jobs bill,’ was asked…

“That would be, quite frankly, one of the most irresponsible acts of any elected body possibly in the last century in the United States. How can you not act,” Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter fired back.

The White House says the American Jobs Act has already received bipartisan support from several Governors and Mayors across the United States.