[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25801]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 NINE MONTHS SINCE THE STIMULUS BILL PASSED; YET AMERICANS CONTINUE TO 
                            LOSE THEIR JOBS

  (Mr. CALVERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, there's been a lot of talk from my friends 
on the other side of the aisle about the so-called improvement in the 
United States economy. Unfortunately, all the talk comes without the 
data to back it up.
  Nine months ago, Congress had an opportunity to provide a real shot 
in the arm to our economy, and yet Americans continue to lose their 
jobs. While the Democratic leadership continues to push for radical and 
expensive changes to the American economy, such as a government-run 
health care system, cap-and-trade legislation, the question that should 
be asked every day on Capitol Hill is, simply, Where are the jobs?
  When the leadership spent $800 billion of Americans' hard-earned tax 
dollars with lightning speed with no review in February on the so-
called ``stimulus bill,'' the White House promised that unemployment 
would not exceed 8 percent. We are now at 9.8 percent nationally, 12 
percent in California, and 15 percent in parts of my congressional 
district.
  Congress certainly does not have all the answers--it rarely does--but 
what Congress can do is straightforward: Reduce the Federal tax burden 
on families and business, reduce spending, and target spending where we 
have real infrastructure projects.

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