[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 23]
[House]
[Page 31007]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  WAR IS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. According to the Center for Economic and Policy 
Research, the sharp increase in war spending is taking up a greater 
portion of our gross domestic product, which will cost the United 
States about 2 million jobs because such spending ``is a direct drain 
on the economy, reducing efficiency, slowing growth and costing jobs.'' 
Contrary to popular assumptions, massive spending for war does not 
create jobs; it costs jobs. War spending is capital-intensive, not 
labor-intensive. War creates unemployment.
  The current plans to make extension of unemployment benefits 
contingent on Congress' passing a war spending bill raises serious 
questions about economic policy, not to mention basic decency and 
common sense. We're telling people that as long as we're at war they'll 
get their unemployment benefits. And of course, as long as we're at 
war, there will be more people unemployed.
  Instead of unemployment benefits, people need work. Instead of war, 
people need work. War drives up the deficit. War takes away money from 
job creation. War results in unemployment. War is a weapon of mass 
destruction.

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