[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1049]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PASS ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE

  (Mr. HALL of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HALL of New York. Mr. Speaker, times are rough right now. Signs 
of economic turmoil are multiplying, and we seem to be headed for, or 
already are in, a recession. Last week stock markets around the world 
dropped precipitously, and only an emergency rate change by the Federal 
Reserve prevented them from falling even farther.
  The people I represent in the Hudson Valley have been particularly 
hard hit. Oil has passed the $100-a-barrel mark, making it more 
expensive than ever for people to heat their homes and drive their 
cars. In suburban communities in the Northeast, like the area I 
represent, home heating bills are up by more than 30 percent over last 
year.
  Expenses are rising; wages are stagnating. As a result, families 
struggle to pay their everyday costs. Our debts increase and investment 
in our future plummets.
  Congress must act quickly. I am proud that this Congress will pass 
legislation today to stimulate the economy to help people and 
businesses, but especially the working families who need it most.

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