[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 167 (Thursday, November 3, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H7272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JOBS
(Mr. MORAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, we can't cut our way to national prosperity.
Since President Obama took office, private sector employment has
steadily grown; but largely due to misguided priorities of many
Republican officeholders, public sector cuts have offset that private
sector job gain. In fact, the States that took the most severe hatchet
to their State budgets have lost the most jobs and faced a more severe
economic downturn. But the States that increased spending in the public
sector saw real and steady economic growth since the recession began.
According to a study by the Center for American Progress, that's
because there's a corresponding increase in the private sector when we
pursue a responsible policy of investment in the public sector. Some
States have, in fact, slashed their way into a deeper economic slump.
Yes, big cuts in public spending do have an immediate effect on the
quality of life; but it's worse if in addition to affecting our quality
of life, we are actually making the national employment situation much
worse. There's abundant data to support that conclusion.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that President Obama's jobs bill invests in
teachers, cops and firefighters because he knows that that investment
will stimulate more private sector capital investment in our
communities. That's why it should be passed.
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