Gov. Gregoire�s statement on recently signed federal jobs bill

For Immediate Release: March 18, 2010

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gregoire issued the following statement today regarding President Obama signing into law a 2010 federal jobs bill:

�It is encouraging that the President and Congress have taken action to create jobs here in Washington and across the country. The bill that was signed into law today includes a number of smart proposals to get people back to work including providing tax relief to businesses that hire new employees or making investments to expand their company. I thank our delegation who have been advocating for this law to be passed quickly to deliver much needed assistance to us here in Washington state.

�The new law is a good start but more needs to be done. I am working with state legislators to pass a jobs package now to complement what the federal government has already done. We need to do more to create opportunities for Washingtonians to earn a regular, living-wage paycheck.

�The work of the federal government is far from complete. Proposals to encourage investments in clean energy, extend unemployment benefits, and help free up credit for small businesses are still being debated in Congress and I urge them to move quickly and pass these measures to help speed up our country�s recovery with needed capital and ultimately, jobs.�