Jobs Plan Would Have Swift Impact, Says Freshman Duo

A bipartisan pair of Senate newcomers have teamed up on a bill they say would quickly jumpstart an anemic labor force.

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) said Tuesday that their plan, the The American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Act, or AGREE Act, is designed to attract support from both parties.

“Our plan borrows heavily from legislation introduced by both parties and in both chambers of Congress — Republicans in the House, and Democrats in the Senate,” they wrote in a Politico op-ed previewing the bill. “All the provisions have garnered bipartisan support in today’s political climate, and all would help encourage job creation today.”

Among other things, the measure extends tax benefits for small businesses to purchase new equipment, strengthens the research and development tax credit, promotes the hiring of returning vets and does away with “burdensome regulations.”

The plan also creates more visas for skilled foreign workers and cracks down on intellectual property theft.

Rubio and Coons described the package as being “non-controversial” and said that it “would help boost the economy right away.”

“These shorter-term policy fixes clearly won’t be a substitute for the comprehensive economic reforms we need,” the pair wrote. “But as we engage in this broader conversation about our long-term future, we can still act on things we agree on.”