[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H877-H878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CURRENT STATE OF OUR ECONOMY

  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the current 
state of our economy here in the U.S. Three years and three massive tax 
cuts later, President Bush keeps telling American working families that 
our economy is turning the corner and that jobs are going to be coming 
soon. Well, Mr. President, where are the jobs? Where are those promises 
you made?
  Last Friday brought more disappointing news about our jobless 
recovery. In fact, only 21,000 new jobs were created last month. Many 
economists had expected 125,000 new jobs, and the President promised 
300,000 new jobs. The disastrous job creation levels are further 
evidence that the Bush economic policies are not working. However, the 
President continues to insist that his plan is the right approach.
  President Bush was in my home State of California last Friday when 
the dismal employment numbers were released. He was in Bakersfield, a 
town with an unemployment rate of 12.8 percent, painting an uplifting 
and positive picture of our troubled economy. When he learned that a 
local business there would be creating two new jobs, the President 
called it really good news. We need far more than two and three new 
jobs, Mr. President, to put our State back on track.
  The Bush economic policies have been a disaster for our State. Rather 
than create jobs, we have lost 3 million private sector jobs under this 
administration. If the rest of the year mirrors last month's numbers, 
it would take 9 years, 9 years, to recover all the jobs lost under this 
President.
  Much of the job loss has been in the manufacturing sector, where job 
loss is at a 53-year high. Another 3,000 manufacturing jobs disappeared 
last month because of outsourcing, a policy that the Bush 
administration says is healthy for our economy. Long-term unemployment 
also continues to be a very, very serious problem. The average out-of-
work American is now unemployed for 5 months, the highest in 20 years.
  A report recently released by the Economic Policy Institute and the 
National Employment Law Project found that college graduates, older 
workers, and workers in the manufacturing industry disproportionately 
are likely to experience long-term chronic unemployment in our current 
economy. To make matters worse, President Bush wants to make it even 
more difficult for those to find work.
  Under his budget proposals this year, worker training and assistance 
programs for millions of Americans would be cut significantly. He wants 
to reduce access to worker training, child care support, housing 
assistance and college tuition relief and public health insurance at a 
time when most working families need help the most. I think that is 
wrong.
  Those of us that live in my district know how hard it has been. The 
reality is that in my district we have very high unemployment rates. In 
the cities that I represent, particularly East Los Angeles where about 
70 to 80 percent of the population are Latino families, they are 
experiencing up to 10 percent and above unemployment rates. It has been 
that way for the last 3 years.
  Where is the relief for the districts that I represent, for the 
hardworking Americans that contribute to our taxing system here and get 
nothing in return when they really need it?
  I would ask for us to take a strong look at the policies that this 
administration is advocating and postpone the tax cuts for the wealthy 
and restore integrity in the health care services and in our education 
and in our environment.
  Our environment is suffering. Latino children in my district suffer 
higher rates of chronic illnesses, asthma, obesity, and diabetes. If 
these issues are

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not contained now, we are going to have to be paying for those 
tomorrow.
  We need to invest in America. We need to stop outsourcing. We need to 
make sure that our children and our families are taken care of.
  I would ask for all Americans to take a second look at this recovery 
that the President is proposing. I would ask for all of us to join 
together and make our resources felt here at home.

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