[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H7864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REPUBLICAN FAILURES ON THE ECONOMY--AMERICA CANNOT AFFORD MORE OF THE 
                                  SAME

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, with 8 straight months of job losses, the 
Bush economy has now shed 605,000 jobs this year. The state of our 
Nation's economy is a direct result of economic policies Washington 
Republicans have been waiting decades to implement. But it wasn't until 
they had control of all levels of power from 2001 to 2007 that they 
fully implemented their strategy. Middle class families are now paying 
the price.
  For 7 years now President Bush and congressional Republicans have 
been looking out for the wealthiest few while 2.5 million more 
Americans are unemployed and nearly 5 million more Americans live in 
poverty. While the price of groceries, gasoline, and health care have 
all gone up, the purchasing power of a middle income salary has fallen 
over the last 7 years. Real wages have only grown .3 percent since 
2000, compared to 7.7 percent growth during the Clinton years in the 
1990s.
  Mr. Speaker, middle class families fair much better economically when 
a Democrat inhabits the White House. The American people should support 
real change in November.

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