[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    PRESIDENT BUSH AND GOP OUT OF TOUCH ON THE ECONOMIC CONCERNS OF 
                               AMERICANS

  (Mrs. JONES of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, President Bush and the congressional 
Republicans refuse to face reality when it comes to the economic 
conditions the American middle class and working poor now face. Despite 
all the evidence to the contrary, President Bush continues to contend 
that things are good for American workers.
  Just what numbers is he looking at? Surely, it cannot be the economic 
numbers that show average workers today are making $3,000 less than 
they did 5 years ago, if you adjust for inflation.
  The President must also be ignoring numbers showing that wages and 
salaries now make up the lowest proportion of the economy since the 
government began taking records back in 1947. While wages have been 
stagnant, corporate profits have climbed to their highest levels since 
the 1960s.
  Mr. Speaker, that last fact must be the one that the President is 
referring to when he touts the economy. It may be working well for the 
President's wealthy special-interest friends who are forcing their 
workers to be more productive without allowing them to share in the 
profits. Is this really fair?
  Democrats believe we need to take our economy in a new direction, one 
that looks out for all Americans, not just the privileged few.

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