Washington, D.C. -- I agree with President Obama that it is critical to get a stimulus bill passed as quickly as possible; the U.S. has been losing jobs at the rate of 19,000 a day for the last year.  According to the CNN/Wall St. Journal research, 36,400 people in Hawaii were unemployed at the end of December, nearly double the number from one year before.  

When the House and Senate conferees meet to reconcile the differences in the two measures, be assured that the House conferees will fight as hard as they can to retain as much targeted public works funding as possible.

However, what is most important is that this Congress - perhaps with as few as three Republican votes - will pass an Economic Stimulus Bill that will create jobs and get the country’s economy moving again.

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