WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement today in light of the March Employment Report from the U.S. Department of Labor, which showed that the U.S. economy gained 88,000 jobs while the unemployment rate dropped to 7.6 percent.

“Today’s job report is further proof that we are in the midst of a fragile economic recovery which is significantly affected by the actions – or inactions – of Congress. We should not be surprised that overall hires have slowed so considerably, but we should be disappointed. As we return to Washington next week, I hope my colleagues will see this report as impetus to press forward with the reconciliation of a budget that creates jobs and grows our economy while also addressing our nation’s long-term fiscal health.

“The budget that I helped craft and that recently passed the Senate forges a credible path toward fiscal stability. Taken in combination with steps enacted over the past two years, the plan reduces the projected deficit by more than 4 trillion dollars over the next ten years and makes critical investments in our deteriorating infrastructure, which if left unfixed, would be yet another debt to our children.

“Lastly, the fact remains that what these statistics don’t reveal are the real world implications for the 12 million unemployed and many more underemployed Americans who continueto struggle to put food on the table, to purchase medications, and to make ends meet. I truly hope this dismal report is a wake-up call for Congress to come together and find solutions for them and our country.”

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