The Labor Department today reported that the unemployment rate continues to remain above 9.5 percent.  Last month, 159,000 government employees lost their jobs while only 64,000 private sector jobs were created.  Let me put that into perspective.  When Speaker Nancy Pelosi took over the House of Representatives in January 2007, America's unemployment stood at 4.6 percent, or 7 million individuals.  If we continue to only create 64,000 private sector jobs a month, it will take over 10 years to return to pre-Pelosi employment numbers.   Unfortunately, the Obama Administration considers these abysmal numbers a recovery. 

The good news is I, along with my Republican colleagues, have gathered several ideas from small business owners that would create jobs immediately.  First, we must do no more harm.  At the end of this year, small businesses will be hit hard with the largest tax increase in American history.  I've heard from numerous small business owners in the 10th District who explained they will not hire more employees because Washington has failed to eliminate the uncertainty for how this tax increase will affect them.  Small businesses create over 70 percent of new jobs in America, and if we only increase taxes on the top two percent tax rates, small businesses will still be responsible for picking up half of the tab.  In fact, according to the Heritage Institute, the tax increase could cost Georgians over 27,000 jobs.

Merely stopping the tax increase is not enough.  Businesses are struggling today, under the current tax laws, to create jobs.  We must provide additional incentives, such as those proposed in my JOBS Act and "A Pledge for America."  The JOBS Act proposes a two year moratorium on capital gains and dividend taxes and a 50 percent reduction on self-employed, payroll, and corporate tax rate.  The Pledge also allows small business owners to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their business income. If we want businesses to create jobs, we must allow them to keep more of their hard earned money so they can afford to keep and create new jobs.  We have already wasted almost two years trying to spend our way to a recovery.  We cannot afford to wait another day.