[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3652]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY LEAVES AMERICAN FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS 
                                  MEET

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, during these uncertain economic times, 
American families are struggling to make ends meet.
  Consider that oil and gas prices are at an all-time high. Health care 
costs continue to skyrocket out of control, leaving more Americans 
either uninsured or underinsured. Food prices recently experienced 
their biggest price increase in more than 3 years. If all that is not 
bad enough, the U.S. economy lost 63,000 jobs last month. The February 
jobs numbers are the latest sign that economic growth has virtually 
stalled.
  President Bush has the dubious distinction of being tied with his 
father as the two Presidents with the worst jobs record since the Great 
Depression.
  Madam Speaker, congressional Democrats are working hard to strengthen 
the American economy and create jobs. We worked in a bipartisan fashion 
on the economic stimulus package that will not only help hardworking 
Americans pay their bills but will also jump-start our economy and 
create 50,000 new jobs in America.
  This was the only the beginning. Strengthening our economy remains a 
top priority for this Democratic Congress as we move through this year.

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