Speaking on Bloomberg Television Friday, Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said Friday’s unemployment report shows congressional lawmakers still have work to do.
“I can say this. We’re glad we didn’t lose ground on the unemployment front, but clearly we have to do more. And that’s what the president’s been saying for weeks,” the Illinois Democrat said. “Standing by the sidelines and saying, ‘Let it work itself out,’ is not acceptable.”
Mr. Durbin, who serves as the Senate Democratic Whip, said Senate Democrats are likely to support President Obama’s jobs proposal, adding that congressional Republicans are likely to continue their opposition to the measure.
“Now, as far as the Senate and the Democrats in the Senate, we will provide an overwhelming number of votes in support of the president’s jobs plan,” Mr. Durbin said. “We may come at it differently….But the votes will be there if we can put together a bipartisan coalition. We still need 60 votes in the Senate.”
Mr. Durbin’s comments come as President Obama is engaged in his latest push to persuade congressional Republicans to support his proposal for lowing the nation’s rate of unemployment. A Labor Department report released Friday shows the nation’s rate of unemployment unchanged at 9.1 percent. The same report also showed hiring picked up moderately in September as employers added 103,000 jobs.
