Democratic speaker Tip O’Neill once said, “ All politics is local.” That a politician’s success is linked to his ability to understand the needs of his constituents and to translate that into policy.

I say this because I do not think the Republican Party understood why they were sent to Washington. Look at what the new Republican majority did in their first 200 days. Instead of working to create a job-friendly environment, in their first 200 days as the majority the Republican led house passed 81 measures, not a single one focused on job creation.

They focused on repealing all the Democratic achievements in the last congress. They passed bills on divisive issues like privatizing social security, ending Medicare and redefining rape. Yes, according to freshman Republicans rape is only really rape if it involves force, hence “forcible rape.”

President Obama said, “When I promised you change you can believe in, I did not promise change you can believe in, in eighteen months.”

It is silly to think that the president can fix the mess that took 10 years, overnight. The president and congress are there to enact the conditions that help in job creation. The president’s job bill is called the American Jobs Act. In a speech to a joint session of congress, President Obama suggested proposals that are supported by a mix of Democrats and Republicans.

The American Jobs Act includes five components: enacting tax cuts for small businesses, modernizing infrastructure, incentivizing employers to hire, tax relief for every American Worker and families and  defining a long-term deficit reduction plan.

I like that this bill focuses on rebuilding our infrastructure, our country is in dire need of modernization of roads, railways, airports and schools. This bill outlines a way to “ Rebuild America” by putting workers on the job while rebuilding and modernizing America.  It offers tax credits to encourage businesses to hire unemployed veterans, prevents over 280,000 teachers from layoffs and keeps our firefighters and police officers on the job. These proposals will also renovate at least 35,000 public schools across the country.

This bill does a lot for South Dakota. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) said,  “South Dakota will receive $75 million in funding to improve classrooms and upgrade buildings.” According to whitehouese.gov, the American Jobs Act will give 20,000 South Dakota firms a payroll tax cut and over $192.5 million to modernize South Dakota infrastructure. It will put 1,600 educators and first responders back to work in South Dakota. South Dakota households making $46,000 a year will receive $1,430 in tax relief.

It is time for Congressional Republicans to get out of the way of job creation; it is time to pass The American Jobs Act.