Labor Secretary Solis calls on Congress to create infrastructure bank

Congress needs to develop an infrastructure bank using both private and public funds to invest in roads, bridges and other projects, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis told a National Press Club audience on Aug. 30.

Solis’ appearance came in advance of Labor Day and shortly before an expected speech by President Barack Obama outlining initiatives to create jobs and help lower an unemployment rate consistently above 9 percent.

Ideas such as the infrastructure bank and extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance have all been mentioned as possible elements of the plan that Obama will unveil after Labor Day.

Solis didn’t offer any other clues as to what the president may announce but she said that the infrastructure bank and extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance would help unemployed and under-employed Americans as the economy slowly recovers. She does not see Congress passing a “Stimulus II,” she said.

Solis touted the 2.4 million private-sector jobs that have been created during the Obama administration.

“We have a long way to go but people have to understand where we started and where we are going," Solis said. "I hear from economists that they do see the path that the president has taken as one that is well thought out and developed given the restraints we faced -- both political and other structural problems.”

Unemployed Americans need to be made aware of good paying jobs in sectors such as agriculture, Solis said. Some agricultural jobs pay more than people receive in unemployment insurance, and yet farmers say they can’t attract Americans to do the work.

“There are obviously some great challenges right now in the job market," Solis said.
"Our priority is to make sure that citizens here in our country have the opportunity to apply for those jobs. We’ve got a lot of jobs that go unfilled now.”

Unemployed Americans need to be told “there are these jobs available. I think that number one we should try to do that first before we necessarily have to go outside of our own country,” Solis said.

Earlier this year, Solis visited Viking Drill & Tool in St. Paul, Minn. She praised the investments Viking has made to remodel and reinvest in its factory.

“People can’t tell me it can’t be done; that we can’t retool our workers in some of these older traditional jobs while creating opportunities for those in the future,” Solis said.

Solis said she believes her Latino heritage and her experience give her a different perspective.

“This is an historic time for us. I think my country needs individuals who think a little differently with the same kind of enthusiasm and patriotism,” she said. “We want to help our entire country and hopefully being able to set good examples.”