[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20193]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATOR McCAIN IS OUT OF TOUCH ON THE ECONOMY--THE FUNDAMENTALS ARE NOT 
                                 STRONG

  (Mr. ELLISON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, the Bush administration, Senator McCain and 
congressional Republicans need to realize that economic hardship does 
not end on Wall Street. For 8 years now, Washington Republicans have 
been implementing policies that have also hurt Main Street.
  Today, middle class workers are struggling to make ends meet on 
paychecks that are, on average, $300 smaller a year than they were back 
in 2001 when President Bush took office. Meantime, grocery prices have 
increased by more than $800, home energy prices are up $300, and health 
care costs are up more than $2,000.
  In total, American families are paying $4,000 a year more for these 
basic necessities than they did during the Clinton administration. No 
wonder the American people are feeling financially squeezed.
  Senator McCain said he doesn't really understand economics very well, 
and he proved it when he said that the fundamentals of the economy were 
strong. How can Senator McCain turn our economy around if he doesn't 
even recognize that we are in trouble?

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