Washington, DC– U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate last month dropped to 8.5 percent from 8.6 percent in November:

           “This is a welcome start to the new year for those struggling to find work, but only sustained, robust recovery will create the millions of jobs we need to turn this economy around.  It is critical that election-year politics don’t prevent the President and Congress from working together in the months ahead to give job creators the long-term certainty they need to grow again.  To start, our colleagues across the aisle need to return to Washington ready to finish last year’s business, including a year-long extension of the payroll tax cut and dozens of other House-passed initiatives to create jobs, ease regulatory burdens, and cut the debt.  Jobs, not politics, must be the top priority in Washington.”

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