[U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon] – Today the Department of Labor released the November jobs report, indicating the nation’s November unemployment rate was 8.6%, falling slightly from the October rate of 9%. This marks the 34th straight month that unemployment has remained over 8%. This news comes on the heels of the House passing several bills aimed at helping get Americans back to work. This year the House has passed over 20 crucial pro-growth, pro-jobs bills, which have been left to languish in the Democrat lead Senate.

This week the House passed the following important bills that will help our nation’s workers and job creators by removing burdensome, job-killing regulations. The passage of these bills now brings the tally of House-passed bipartisan jobs bills sitting in the Senate up to 25.

* Regulatory Accountability Act, an important part of our effort to spur growth and hiring by requiring agencies to reduce the regulatory burdens hindering the small businesses we are counting on to create jobs.

* Regulatory Flexibility Act which will assess the impact of pending regulations on our nation’s small businesses prior to implementation. Small businesses owners generate a majority of the new jobs in our country. Right now, small businesses owners say complying with burdensome regulations is the most important problem their businesses face.

* The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act which will ensure employers are able to participate in a fair union election process. Workers will have a chance to hear both sides of the debate and important issues that can determine how a worker votes will be decided before ballots are cast. It also reinstates the traditional standard for determining which employees will vote in the union election, restoring a standard that was developed through years of careful consideration and Congressional guidance and protect workers’ privacy by empowering workers to choose the type of personal contact information that is provided to the union.

“While it is always welcome news anytime our country creates jobs, our unemployment remains too high and our economy is not creating enough new jobs,” said Congressman McKeon. “Prior to President Obama taking office, unemployment had not been above 9 percent in 28 years. In the last 3 years we have only seen unemployment over 9% for months on end. The tax and spend policies of this administration have failed, and it is time for the Senate and the President to stop playing political games with the livelihood of the people and businesses of this country. I implore the Senate to consider the jobs bills that have passed the House and send them to the President for his signature. It is time to work together and get this country working again.”