As you may have recently seen in the news, the national unemployment rate crept up to 9.2 percent for the month of June.

This marks the highest unemployment rate this year and is the third consecutive month the jobless rate has ticked up.

According to the Alabama Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state’s unemployment rate for May 2011 was up 9.6 percent, up a tenth of a percent from last year and up .3 percent since April 2011. This means over 200,000 Alabamians are out of work.

All this news just confirms what folks in East Alabama already know -   the debate in Washington must be about jobs and getting our economy moving.

I believe there are three immediate things Washington can do to help get our economy back on track and help restore consumer confidence.

First, Congress should cut spending. Second, say no to any job threatening tax increases, and third, lift the burden of over-restrictive government regulations from small businesses, community banks and job creators.

One thing that we’ve learned over the past 29 months of the Obama Administration is that excessive spending is not the answer to fix this economic mess.

With our $14.4 trillion national debt threatening to stifle long-term economic growth, we have learned a hard lesson, but a lesson Americans know – live within your financial means.

I also strongly support a balanced budget amendment to make sure spending stays in line. New job-threatening tax increases? No way. Washington has a spending problem not a revenue problem.

The burden of overly restrictive government regulations should be removed from the private sector so they can get back to work. Whether it’s the EPA or OSHA bullying small businesses, big government is not a friend of small business.

I believe that American common sense, ingenuity, and hard work is the back bone of a strong and growing economy. Big government is a hurdle to this growth.

Contact me on this or any issue at  www.mike-rogers.house.gov, become a fan on Facebook at Congressman Mike D. Rogers, follow me on Twitter at RepMikeRogersAL and subscribe to my YouTube page at MikeRogersAL03.