[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 15, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H4490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REPUBLICANS NOT CREATING JOBS
(Mr. NADLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, job creation under the Bush administration
remains disappointing, despite 3 years of economic recovery. Last month
the economy created only 78,000 jobs. There are fewer private sector
jobs in the United States today than there were in January 2001 when
President Bush took office. In fact, the economy must still create an
additional 24,000 jobs just to get back to where we were in 2001. In
the Clinton years we created 23 million new jobs. We did not lose
private sector jobs.
Also on this President's watch, our economy has lost 2.8 million
manufacturing jobs, including 7,000 more last month. The weakness of
the job market is also showing up in the continued stagnation of
workers' earnings. Today, on average, workers' hourly wages are down 1
percent from last year if you factor in inflation. That means workers
are taking home less, at a time when their health care, education and
gas bills are skyrocketing.
Mr. Speaker, Republicans had their chance to jump-start the economy.
For 4 years they have been cutting taxes for the wealthiest few in the
hopes that jobs and higher salaries would trickle down to the middle
class. It has not happened.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for a new approach.
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