WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement tonight after President Barack Obama proposed a package of tax cuts and new spending designed to create jobs:

“With real unemployment at 16 percent and 25 million Americans without a full-time job, it is imperative that Congress pass a strong jobs bill that puts our people back to work – and that we do it immediately. The president is right when he talks about rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, modernizing our schools, rehiring teachers and emergency responders who have been laid off, and making sure that veterans can find jobs when they return home from war.  He is also right that the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations have got to begin paying their fair share of taxes. 

“The question that I will be studying in the coming days is whether the president’s plan goes far enough to address the jobs crisis, and whether there is too much emphasis on tax breaks as opposed to direct investment.  I also want to take a hard look at what the president means when he talks about “reforming” Medicare and Medicaid and what those “reforms” mean to senior citizens and working families.”