Today, U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, released the following statement after the U.S Department of Labor released the jobs report for the month of September:

“This month’s jobs report indicated that the economy added 103,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent.  It is encouraging that private sector businesses added 137,000 jobs for the 19^th consecutive month and the unemployment rate in the African American community fell from 16.7 percent to 16 percent.  However, there is no doubt that Congress must focus on passing legislation that puts Americans back to work.

“Occupy Wall Street, and other movements across the nation demonstrate the mounting frustration against corporate greed and the increasing wealth gap between the rich and poor across the nation.  The American people have made it clear that they want Congress to end the ideological bickering.  It’s time that Republicans join Democrats in this fight for American families, take up President Obama’s American Jobs Act and support the Congressional Democrats ‘Make It In America’ initiative.

“The American people deserve a Congress that is going to put their needs first rather than political showmanship.  Together, let’s move forward to address job growth.  I ask my Republican colleagues in the House not to continue down the path of political gamesmanship, but focus on the priorities of the American people.”

###