Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Committee will hold a hearing on government policies and actions that are impediments to job creation.  The hearing will take place on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, in Room 1100 of the Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 A.M.

In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only.  However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

There is widespread acknowledgment that the current pace of job creation in the United States is not sufficient to significantly reduce the nation's persistently high unemployment rate.  If the current rate of growth continued, the unemployment rate would not return to "normal" until 2016 or later.  With nearly 14 million Americans unemployed, and millions more unable to find full-time work or so discouraged that they've given up even looking for a job, Congress must ensure that government policies and actions are not preventing job creation.  Many employers and economists believe that the recent increases in the scale and scope of government intervention in the economy are contributing factors to the lack of private sector job creation.  Additionally, a bipartisan chorus of experts have stated that large deficits and debt significantly hamper the U.S. economy and limit economic growth.  The hearing will explore the extent to which the expansion of the role of government is impeding economic growth and the extent to which current and projected budget deficits and debt are suppressing activity in the private sector and therefore suppressing job growth.  

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Camp stated, “Contrary to what some in Washington believe, we cannot spend our way to prosperity.  Washington needs to create an environment that allows the private sector to do what it does best - invest and create jobs.  This hearing will help us identify areas where Congress needs to act to ensure that the government is not impeding job creation.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The hearing will focus on identifying impediments to job creation and the impact of budget deficits and growing debt levels in particular.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms. From the Committee homepage, https://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings.”  Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.”  Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information. ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by the close of business on April 13^th, 2011.  Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-1721 or (202) 225-3625.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.  As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee.  The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines.  Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below.  Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1. All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased.  All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

3. All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.  A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness.

The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities.  If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested).  Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.

Note: All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.waysandmeans.house.gov/.


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