How Can We Create and Maintain Jobs in Eastern Washington?

"A wide net catches the most Ð ish."

That was 23-year old Jordan McCandless's approach to fÐinding a job. He claimed job-hunting as a 40-hour per week com- mitment after graduating from Whitworth Univer- sity in Spokane. And after countless applications and interviews, he still had no luck fÐinding a job.

Jordan described his dreams of one day becom- ing a U.S. Senator, and was willing to work any sort of job or internship to get his foot in the door. He said, "My main concern is mak- ing sure I have enough of an income to pay my bills and student loans."

I know what it's like to be in his position. I worked all kinds of jobs - at the McDonald's Drive-Thru, on the family farm, and as a local hotel housekeeper - just to pay off my stu- dent loans. I know what it's like to be in Jordan's shoes - to have just gradu- ated from college, eager to make a difference in the community, but faced with the reality of having to pay the bills. Young people all across this country are struggling to fÐind jobs after they graduate from col- lege - and it's t ime to give o ur future l ead- ers a stron- ger and McMorrisRodgersmore robust economy. In fact, when adjusted for the decline in the labor force participa- tion rate, the effective un- employment rate among 18-29 year olds is 16.1%.

While the latest nation- al jobs report stated an unemployment rate of 7%, it's in-part a result of people dropping out of the work force, as well as an increase in part-time jobs. And here in Eastern Washington, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Orielle Counties' reports show unemploy- ment rates at or above 9%. We can do better than this. We cannot settle for unem- ployment rates this high. We need to give people like Jordan more certainty and better opportunities.

Washington state is the home to many prosper- ous, innovative and suc- cessful businesses - and we need to make sure the economic climate is one in which they can continue to thrive. We need to keep big employers here in Eastern Washington, but remain focused on the growth of small businesses, which make up over 40% of em- ployees in Washington. The way we do that is through pro-growth eco- nomic solutions that de- crease government inter- vention and unnecessary regulations - so employers are encouraged to expand, not forced to cut back.

The enormous amounts of red tape and regulations coming out of D.C. are making it nearly impos- sible for our employers to thrive and expand. I have voted for several bills to cut the red tape and stimu- late the economy for local business owners, with the intention of restoring the integrity of the hard- working businessmen and women in America. Every time legislation comes for a vote, I ask myself, "How will this legislation create more jobs at home?"

I recently supported a set of energy bills that enhance energy secu- rity while creating jobs throughout the energy industry in Washington. It's just one example of the 150 jobs-related bills I have voted for and have passed the House this year. This focus on creating and maintaining jobs, as well as the recent budget agree- ment between Budget Chairs Murray and Ryan, are steps in the right direc- tion.

Getting Eastern Wash- ington back to work is my fÐirst priority. I am confÐi- dent we will continue to expand opportunities for people like Jordan Mc- Candless, as well as those attempting to re-enter the workforce. I want people to be encouraged to be educated and competitive - and that will take com- promise from both sides of the aisle regarding federal regulations, tax reform and a balanced budget.

As we move forward, I am confÐident we can turn our challenges into oppor- tunities. Opportunities to give people greater fÐinan- cial security; get Ameri- cans back to work; and make sure more people receive paychecks so they can pay their bills and support their families. We will get those like Jordan McCandless back to work by reducing regulations, promoting economic cer- tainty, and championing bipartisan compromise. And I am confÐident we can do it.