[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 12, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H1754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        AMERICA NEEDS TAX RELIEF

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, America needs tax relief. The economy lost 
308,000 jobs in February, one of the sharpest drops in recent memory. 
The unemployment rate now stands at 5.8 percent. While this is 
relatively low by historical standards, the unemployment rate was only 
4 percent as recently as 2000.
  Now, the President's economic growth package, I believe, is urgently 
needed to increase the number of jobs created in the United States. 
Private sector economists have drawn the same conclusion. The jobs 
growth package could create millions of new jobs. For example, the 
Macroeconomic Advisers estimate that the package would lead to the 
creation of nearly 2 million jobs by the end of 2004. The Business 
Roundtable puts the figure at more than 3 million.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I believe that we should pass the Bush tax relief 
plan now.

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