[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 7, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1030
JOBS ACT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Canseco) for 5 minutes.
Mr. CANSECO. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our economy, one thing is
abundantly clear: President Obama's policies have failed.
We are experiencing the worst stretch of unemployment since the Great
Depression, despite a trillion-dollar stimulus plan that the Obama
administration said would hold unemployment below 8 percent and despite
record low interest rates.
The unemployment rate has remained above 8 percent for 36 straight
months, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the jobless
rate will remain above 8 percent through 2014. Almost 13 million
Americans are out of work, and the share of unemployed people looking
for work for more than 6 months, or the long-term unemployment, topped
40 percent in December 2009 for the first time since 1948 and has
remained above that level ever since.
Because his policies have failed, President Obama has turned to the
politics of envy and division. The only solutions he can come up with
involve more spending, more taxes, and more government. These are the
policies that failed in the first place.
House Republicans have a plan for America's job creators. It's time
for the President and Democrats in the Senate to stop blocking our jobs
bills.
This week, the House will consider the JOBS Act, a legislative
package designed to jump-start our economy and restore opportunities
for America's primary job creators. These are our small businesses, the
start-ups, and the entrepreneurs.
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama asked Congress to
send him a bill that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed,
and the JOBS Act does exactly that.
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