Labor Secretary Solis speaks in support of jobs plan

by Dan Olson, Minnesota Public Radio

Minneapolis — U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis stood beneath a crumbling bridge in downtown Minneapolis Thursday to encourage Americans to tell Congress to pass the President's jobs plan.

Speaking to a mostly labor union audience, Solis said President Barack Obama's plan of payroll tax cuts and hiring incentives could lead to creating 1.9 million jobs as the country's infrastructure is repaired. The president proposed the $447 billion plan two weeks ago.

"It's the streets, the pavement, the sewage," Solis said. "It's all our systems that keep America running,"

Solis continues her Midwest visit supporting the jobs act with a stop Friday in Milwaukee.