Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis released the following statement today after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 243,000 jobs in January. The unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest it has been since February 2009. With private businesses creating 257,000 jobs, this marks the 23rd consecutive month of private sector job growth.
The decisive decisions undertaken by President Obama have not only prevented us from sliding into a Great Depression, but have shifted from a situation where we were losing 800,000 jobs per month to 23 consecutive months of job creation. Today’s jobs report is another sign of progress and confirms that the President’s policies to put Americans back to work and lay a foundation for economic growth are working.
The President has laid out a bold vision to strengthen manufacturing, promote renewable energy, provide workers the skills to succeed and ensure everybody does their fair share. Mitt Romney and Republicans in Congress have a fundamentally different vision. Their approach to strip away consumer protections, slash investments in workers, students, and American industries, while protecting tax breaks for the wealthy and big business, is irresponsible and wrong.
Republicans may refuse to acknowledge the evidence that our economy is recovering, but the American people will see that the President has things moving in the right direction.
Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis issued the following statement after GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney promised to veto the DREAM Act if it reached his desk as president. The DREAM Act, which would let young immigrants who give back to the only country they’ve ever known by serving in the military or going to college to earn a path to citizenship, has enjoyed considerable bipartisan support.
Mitt Romney has made another far-right flip flop in his bid to win Tea Party support and become the Republican presidential nominee. Despite once supporting comprehensive immigration reform that created a path to legal status, Mitt Romney has since adopted the most extreme position on immigration of any Republican nominee in recent history. By rejecting the DREAM Act, Mitt Romney has repudiated a common sense solution supported by both parties that embodies the principles that have made America strong. Romney’s pandering to the fringe tea party wing of the Republican Party disqualifies him in the eyes of moderate and independent voters.
President Obama has different values. President Obama has fought for the DREAM Act because it reflects the spirit of inclusion and diversity that has made our country competitive and dynamic. The DREAM Act fulfills America’s promise to offer equality and opportunity to all. In Maryland, Governor O’Malley and Democrats have made a similar commitment to fairness and have given talented Maryland youth the chance to realize their full potential.
You only have one day left to submit an online application to become a delegate for President Obama in Charlotte. There is so much grassroots interest in the Convention, so I want to make sure you apply to join us before the deadline next Saturday.
The President has called the 2012 Convention the “People’s Convention” because it is really about you. Yes, we will make history again as we renominate Barack Obama – but the Convention will also embody and celebrate the ideals, values and vision we share as Democrats. That is why I want you to take part in the delegate selection process.
Remember, in order to qualify to become a Maryland Delegate you must complete an online application by December 10, and file at the State Board of Elections between January 3 and January 11, 2012.
If you have any questions, check out our website or email .
The Convention in Charlotte will be a special event for the thousands who attend and the millions who will be watching. That’s why the Party is committed to running an open process that will give as many people the opportunity to participate as possible.
