WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today applauded Senate passage of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act. This first in a planned series of jobs bills includes a job creation tax credit and other measures to help small businesses and rebuild our infrastructure.
“Passage of this bill by a strong bipartisan vote is another step toward putting Pennsylvanians back to work,” said Senator Casey. “We have seen positive results from the Recovery bill and other efforts to create jobs. However, more needs to be done to help create conditions for employers to hire again. As we work to put people back to work, we must also strengthen the safety net by extending unemployment insurance and the COBRA health care premium assistance program. This will help families who are struggling and also provide one of the most efficient boosts to the economy.”
The HIRE Act contains a payroll tax holiday for businesses to encourage hiring; Section 179 Expensing to help small businesses expand; an extension of the Highway Trust Fund; and an expansion of Build America Bonds program to allow states to finance more infrastructure projects.
Senator Casey has been a strong advocate for a job creation tax credit since last year. He introduced another version of a job creation tax credit, the Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit (S.2973).
Last month, Senator Casey spearheaded a letter signed by 31 senators urging an extension through the end of the year for unemployment insurance and the COBRA health care subsidy. The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus.
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