Today, with so many people in the 14th District out of a job, it’s clear that Washington bailouts and Wall Street profits simply aren’t enough to put people back to work. In Congress, my top priority will be to rebalance New York City's economy as an innovation capital and diversified hub of next generation industries that create thousands of new jobs for our communities, and set us on a course of sustainable economic growth.

Putting New York back to work means three things: First, we need policies that will spur innovation and investment, including new incentives for businesses to create jobs right here in the City. Second, we need to diversify our economy beyond the financial sector and other industries that we have traditionally relied upon to generate economic growth. And third, we need to do more – much more – to empower our entrepreneurs and help our small businesses.

There’s no doubt that the financial sector has generated a great deal of wealth and economic growth for New York City, and we should work hard to ensure a resurgent and properly regulated Wall Street. But we also need to think beyond financial services. We need to think bigger and bolder about our economic potential. We can stimulate growth by targeting sectors in which the City has a competitive advantage, like biotech and new media. We can plan ahead by preparing our workforce for sectors with high-growth potential, such as health care and green-tech. And most of all, we can secure our economic future by tapping the countless resources, enabling the world-class talent, and empowering the incredible workers and entrepreneurs that exist right here in our communities.