The Obama administration is promoting a $447 billion bill that could help new graduates and other Americans find jobs, but it may be difficult to pass in a sharply divided Congress.
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement Kalpen Modi - better known as actor Kal Penn - spoke with college journalists from around the country Monday during a conference call about the American Jobs Act, a piece of legislation that Obama unveiled this month.
Modi said the bill would create jobs for young people and grow the economy.
"This is very exciting," he said. "We're pushing really hard to make sure it gets passed."
The bill would provide tax cuts of up to $4,000 for employers that hire people who have been unemployed for more than six months, according to the White House website.
It would also support a Pathways Back to Work fund, which would help improve job opportunities for low-income youth and adults in part by supporting summer and year-round jobs for young people and local job training programs.
Erin Murphy, president of UF College Democrats, said the bill is what's needed to jumpstart the American economy and put people back to work.
Matt Pesek, second vice chairman for UF College Republicans, said that while the bill does include some Republican-supported ideas, such as providing tax cuts to small businesses, its price tag could prevent it from passing in Congress.
An information sheet about the bill on the White House website said Obama would call on a joint committee to decide how best to reduce the deficit for the American Jobs Act.
Pesek said having the idea for the bill but not knowing how the country will pay for it is a problem.
"If we don't know how to pay for something, we can't do that then," he said. "We can't just keep inventing money like we have been."
