Tucson, Ariz. – Below is a statement from Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in response to today’s Department of Commerce report that Arizona’s unemployment remained at 9.7 percent for September:

“As a former small business owner, I know that the best economic stimulus is a job and the best long-term economic investment is education. That’s why I opposed the boycott against Arizona and voted for tax cuts for small businesses and the middle class, as well as incentives to create thousands of good jobs in our solar industry.

“Jesse Kelly’s plan to cut $1 billion more from Arizona schools, eliminate all income taxes for companies that ship jobs overseas and establish a 23 percent national sales tax that would raise taxes on 80 percent of Arizona families would send us in exactly the wrong direction. Kelly even opposes unemployment insurance for Arizonans who have been laid off. In this economy we need to do more for people struggling to get by – not less.

“For nearly a decade, Washington tried the failed policies that Jesse Kelly is trying to sell us. They didn’t work then and they won’t work now.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

###