Hanabusa Applauds Obama For Signing Jobs Bill

March 19, 2010

Honolulu – First Congressional District candidate Colleen Hanabusa today applauded President Obama for signing the $38 billion jobs bill which includes a mix of tax breaks and initiatives to get people back to work.

“The President is right to focus on the public’s number one concern: Jobs,” said Hanabusa, who is also president of the Hawaii State Senate. “Getting the unemployed in Hawaii back to work is a top priority for me.”

Also known as the HIRE Act, the newly-enacted measure includes $18 billion in tax breaks and $20 billion in highway construction and transit spending.

Under the measure, businesses which hire someone who has been unemployed for at least 60 days would be exempt from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security tax on that employee through the end of this year.

“This is the kind of boost that helps our small businesses which make up more than 95 percent of businesses in Hawaii,” Hanabusa said. “This bill will also support the local construction industry, providing much-needed stimulus to the state economy.”

Hanabusa also said that while jobs are important, this is the first step toward spurring economic revitalization.

“When elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the White House to bring about the kinds of reforms and legislation needed for full economic recovery. My record shows I can work collaboratively to bring about change,” Hanabusa said.

Colleen Hanabusa has served in the Hawaii State Senate since 1998, representing the 21st Senatorial District that includes Waianae. For the past four years, she has served as President of the Senate, the first woman to lead either house of the Hawaii State Legislature.