[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11974]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   DEMOCRATS HELP REBUILD THE ECONOMY

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, with so many Americans fearing the loss of 
their jobs and their homes and worrying about the rising cost of basic 
needs like food and gas, it is clear that Washington must act.
  The House had led the way in working to jump-start the economic 
recovery by putting hundreds of dollars in the hands of more than 130 
million American families with the economic stimulus package. That is 
only the first step. It is going to take time to reverse the 7 years of 
the Bush failed economic policies that have favored the wealthiest few 
to the detriment of the middle class.
  Congressional Democrats are working to address the record high cost 
of gasoline with the passage of a renewable energy tax incentive that 
will lower prices at the pump and create thousands of green jobs. With 
325,000 jobs lost over the last 5 months, this Congress extended 
unemployment benefits last month, so that those having a hard time 
finding a new job have access to 13 additional weeks.
  The Bush economy is hurting middle-class families in my home State of 
New Jersey, across the Nation, and we must give them relief.

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