– Representative Scott DesJarlais (TN-04) issued the following statement on the May Unemployment Report showing that the economy added just 69,000 jobs in May - well below expectations of 150,000 – and that the unemployment rate rose up to 8.2 percent.

“Despite President Obama’s promise that his policies would reduce the unemployment rate to below six percent, today’s report marks 40 consecutive months of unemployment higher than eight percent. Clearly the president’s approach of stimulus spending, overregulation and higher taxes has only succeeded in growing economic uncertainty and keeping businesses from creating badly needed jobs.

“I have had an opportunity to meet with more than forty business owners in the Fourth district during my Tennessee Job Creators Tour. Their message is clear: the federal government is hurting their ability to hire more workers. In fact, the Small Business Administration has estimated that government regulations cost businesses with fewer than twenty employees $10,585 a year per employee. That is money that should be used to create jobs – not pay for more wasteful Washington spending.

“There is no doubt that we must change course. The House has passed more than 30 bipartisan jobs bills that will eliminate excessive bureaucratic red tape, expand energy production like the Keystone XL pipeline and repeal job-crushing laws like those contained in ObamaCare. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have blocked most of these important measures from receiving a fair vote.

“Families in the Fourth District shouldn’t be forced to continue to pay the price for this administration’s failed agenda, nor do they deserve to experience further economic hardship because Senate Majority Leader Reid has chosen to put partisan politics before sound policy. I call on my colleagues in the Senate to work quickly in bringing the House-passed jobs bills to a vote so that we can begin to implement real solutions to combat our nation’s unemployment.”