Pelosi: GOP Bills 'Destroy' 2 Million Jobs

(Newsroom America) -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that Republican lawmakers have passed legislation that will "destroy up to two million jobs" while rejecting 10 Democratic-sponsored job-creation bills.

In an op-ed in USA Today, Pelosi, California Democrat, wrote that "nothing is more critical to Americans' economic security than good-paying jobs," though House Republicans don't see things that way, she said.

"During more than 200 days in the majority, House Republicans have put our economy at risk by threatening a first-ever default on our debt and refusing to propose legislation to create jobs," Pelosi wrote.

"Instead, they've passed bills that would destroy up to 2 million jobs -- nearly 10,000 jobs per day. And every time Democrats have brought a jobs initiative to the floor -- 10 times so far -- Republicans voted 'no,'" she said.

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio had no immediate comment, but Republicans in general have criticized the White House and Democrats for passing what they say are job-killing laws and regulations during Democrats' majority tenure in both the House and Senate during President Barack Obama's first two years in office.

Pelosi's editorial was published as the Labor Department said new claims for unemployment benefits fell by just 1,000 last week to about 400,000.

The department is scheduled to release its July jobs report Friday. Most economists believe the unemployment rate will remain at 9.2 percent while forecasting that the economy will create about 100,000 new jobs.

© 2010 Newsroom America.

Contact Jon E. Dougherty

Newsroom America Twitter Feed