FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Flo Fabrizio D-Erie www.pahouse.com/Fabrizio

Fabrizio urges Congress to pass the American Jobs Act

HARRISBURG, Nov. 30 – In line with President Barack Obama’s visit to Scranton today, state Rep. Flo Fabrizio, D-Erie, called on Congress to help put thousands of Pennsylvanians back to work by passing the American Jobs Act.

"President Obama's plan is a bipartisan, balanced collection of ideas that would get people back to work without raising the federal deficit," Fabrizio said. "This is exactly what our citizens are asking for – our friends, neighbors and relatives have been out of work for too long."

Fabrizio said a key component of the plan would cut the payroll tax by half from 6.2 percent to 3.1 percent. In Pennsylvania, 230,000 businesses benefit under the federal bill. Without action, Americans are effectively facing a tax hike because a 2 percent payroll tax holiday enacted last year will expire on Dec. 31.

The White House website, www.whitehouse.gov, offers a calculator so individuals and couples can determine how much they would save from a payroll tax cut or the tax increase they would owe if the Republicans in Congress fail to act, Fabrizio said.

Here’s what is at stake with the American Job Act:

Income	Tax cut if the bill is passed	Tax increase if Congress fails to act
$30,000	$930	$600
$40,000	$1,240	$800
$50,000	$1,550	$1,000
$60,000	$1,860	$1,200
$70,000	$2,170	$1,400
$80,000	$2,480	$1,600
$90,000	$2,790	$1,800
$100,000	$3,100	$2,000

"If this tax relief for the middle class continues to be blocked, average families will see nearly $1,000 more in taxes next year," Fabrizio said. "Our families – and our economy – can't afford that."

Fabrizio said Pennsylvania stands to receive billions in investment in public schools and infrastructure under the American Jobs Act. The president’s plan would put nearly 18,000 construction workers back to work in Pennsylvania by investing nearly $1.3 billion to modernize the state’s decaying transportation system. Pennsylvania has the most structurally deficient bridges in the nation.

Pennsylvania would also receive more than $113 million for community colleges, which help people get the skills necessary to compete in the global economy and attract employers to Pennsylvania.

The American Jobs Act would help to reverse the wave of job cuts in local school districts in the wake of Gov. Corbett’s drastic budget cuts, Fabrizio said. The bill would provide more than $1.1 billion to support up to 14,400 educator jobs in Pennsylvania.

"This plan demands action," Fabrizio said. "This is a fair plan that would jumpstart the economy by helping those who need it most – workers and small businesses."

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