Today, Americans received yet another dismal jobs report. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 96,000 new jobs were created in the month of August, and the pace of job creation has been even slower this year than it was in 2011. Worse yet, the economy has been weak for so long now that more and more Americans are leaving the workforce. Last month’s labor force participation rate was the lowest in over 30 years, and for every job created in August, four more Americans have simply given up all hope of finding a job.

I refuse to give up hope. I firmly believe that America still has what it takes to turn our economy around and get back on the path to growth. But recovery will continue to be painfully slow until we change the policies coming out of Washington, D.C. Over the last four years, the federal government’s approach to the economy has been what Ronald Reagan once characterized as, “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” We need to replace this tax-spend-regulate philosophy with policies that empower small businesses and entrepreneurs to grow and create jobs, instead of standing in their way.

House Republicans have passed more than 30 bills to help get our economy moving. Today’s jobs report should be a wake-up call for President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Senate to stop focusing on politics and campaign positioning, and start focusing on working with us to get Americans back to work.