[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16861-16862]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            THE ECONOMY FIT

  Mr. DURBIN. Senator McConnell was also critical of President Obama, 
the President's attempt to deal with the economy he inherited from the 
previous President. The economy was in the worst shape we have seen it 
since the Great Depression when President Obama was sworn into office. 
It was not, as he said, his choice to face that kind of an issue or 
challenge, but it was the reality of what he faced. He did the right 
thing. He said: I am not going to stand idly by and observe this 
economy continue to decline, with more and more people facing 
unemployment, businesses failing, and people losing their savings. I am 
going to step up and try to create jobs, save and create jobs here in 
America so that we do not see more people in the unemployment lines.
  I supported that. Luckily, three Republican Senators at the time 
joined us; otherwise, we could not have passed it. So we had a 
bipartisan vote supporting President Obama's recovery and reinvestment 
package. Senator McConnell, the Republican leader, opposed it. He came 
to the floor today to say that we wasted our money on this stimulus 
package and that we should be very skeptical of these things. The fact 
is, the Republicans in the Senate had nothing to offer as an 
alternative. Their alternative was to stand idly by and watch the 
economy continue to descend, continue to deteriorate, and maybe with a 
little prayer and hope that it would turn around. That is not good 
enough.

[[Page 16862]]

  President Obama said: Let's first, in this stimulus package, take at 
least 40 percent of all of the funds I am asking for and give it back 
to Americans in tax breaks for working families. Families need a 
helping hand, the President said. I voted for that. I think that was 
sensible. The President made that decision. Senator McConnell thinks 
that is wasteful, to give tax breaks to working families--at least he 
said it was wasted. I do not believe it is wasteful. It is a good thing 
to do to try to revitalize the country.
  The President said: Let's invest in what will pay off for a long time 
to come. Let's put money into infrastructure, let's build that which 
will serve our economy and serve America, and let's create good-paying 
jobs to do it. I thought that was sensible.
  The President said: Let's look to the next generation of needs in 
America. Let's make sure we are investing in energy projects which will 
pay back in years to come and lessen our dependence on foreign energy 
sources--another good investment from where I am sitting.
  He also said: Give a helping hand to those unemployed, a little extra 
money for them each month to get by. It was not a lot, but for many 
families it made a difference.
  He also said: Give the unemployed a helping hand so they can keep 
their health insurance. If you lose a job, you lose your health 
insurance. Think about that if you are trying to raise a family. The 
President said: Let's try to reduce the premiums unemployed people will 
pay.
  Now Senator McConnell comes to the floor and said this was a waste of 
time and a waste of money for us to make that kind of investment in 
America. I believe the President did the right thing. I would commend 
to Senator McConnell, the Republican leader, the latest Pew Poll, which 
shows that when Americans were asked if America's economy is on the 
right track or wrong track, they have come in with the highest number--
53 percent on the right track, 39 percent on the wrong track--we have 
seen in months. There is a feeling that we still have a long way to go. 
There are still too many people unemployed, too many businesses 
failing. But at least we are on the right track toward recovery. It may 
take some time. Nobody predicted this would be fast or easy. But the 
President showed leadership, inheriting a bad economy and showing 
leadership to deal with it.

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