Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, said he would support an extension to long-term unemployment benefits if it is offset in other parts of the budget and contains provisions to jump start economic growth.
“I think what is really cruel is to have an economy that doesn’t have jobs in it, so we have to talk about what policy creates jobs,” Mr. Paul said Sunday on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” “What I have been saying all along, we have to figure out how to create jobs and keep people from becoming long-term unemployed.”
The Senate is expected the hold a procedural vote Monday on a three-month extension to long-term unemployment benefits, which expired for 1.3 million Americans on Dec. 28. The unpaid for short-term extension would add about $6.5 billion to the deficit.
Mr. Paul’s solution to reduce long-term unemployment: lower taxes in struggling areas to encourage residents to put money back into the community.
“What I’ve been promoting are economic freedom zones, which any area that has unemployment 1 1/2 times the national average, we would dramatically lower taxes to try to spur and stimulate the economy there and create jobs,” he said.
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
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