[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E134-E135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          JOB CREATION, ECONOMIC RECOVERY, AND DEBT REDUCTION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 26, 2011

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, as the 112th Congress goes to work on 
the policies and actions needed to move America forward, Democrats 
continue to make job creation, economic recovery and debt reduction the 
top priorities. Unfortunately, the first actions by the new Republican 
Majority are not consistent with these priorities.
  These goals should be accomplished in a way that is aligned with the 
needs of working families--what will generate good jobs for working 
people; what will ease the burden for middle class families; what will 
create long-term economic growth for everyone. Democrats measure 
everything Congress does by these goals.
  In the 37th district of California, things are improving, but 
unemployment and foreclosure rates are still well above the national 
average; this is the time to keep moving forward with policies tailored 
to help working families. Now is not the time to move backwards to 
policies that got us into this recession in the first place.
  The Republicans have employed a lot of rhetoric about jobs and the 
economy; however, their first actions in control of the House show no 
follow through. The initial issues being pursued by the GOP are:
  The repeal of Health Care Reform. Republicans knew the repeal would 
go nowhere in the Senate, but still insisted upon wasting valuable time 
that could have been spent on job creation.
  The Republicans have offered what they call a ``Budget Resolution''--
but what should be called a ``Budgetless Resolution'' because it 
contains no numbers, no specifics and, worst of all, no ideas for job 
creation or economic recovery.
  The Budgetless Resolution is a one-page document that makes the vague 
goal of reducing federal spending to 2008 levels. This budgetless 
resolution opens the door to reckless slashes in funding to programs 
that are critical to our fragile economic recovery.
  In California alone, Republicans' blind budget slashing would cut 237 
million from Title I funding for poor students. The cuts would leave 
over 332,000 poor students in California without additional academic 
support that helps them perform to their full potential in school and, 
ultimately, achieve their dreams and goals; this does not help us stay 
competitive in the global marketplace. And this is just one example of 
Republican cuts in one area in one state. Imagine the damage that 
Republicans' across the board, reckless cuts will do to our economic 
recovery.
  This is not the smart way to manage the budget. It is worse than 
arbitrary; it is like

[[Page E135]]

budgeting with blindfolds on. It gives no thought, no reasons and no 
real discussion on how the cuts would be made and what the 
ramifications would be.
  Democrats believe that jobs and the economy should be the top 
priorities and everything we do is measured against those goals. 
Republicans are failing the test.

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