[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              AMERICANS WANT JOBS, NOT UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Nearly 50 million Americans--over 10 million children--
live in poverty and 46 million Americans on food stamps. According to 
the Census Bureau, without Social Security over 50 percent of people 65 
and older would live and die in poverty. Why do we accept poverty? Why 
do we accept massive unemployment? Over 20 million Americans are 
without work. You cannot escape poverty without a job. Americans want 
jobs, not unemployment checks. If you don't have a source of income, 
you can't own a home.
  The middle class is disappearing. An unfair tax system is causing 
wealth to accelerate upwards, which is why I oppose the Bush tax cuts. 
But more tax increases and no massive jobs program are a prescription 
for disaster. We need more taxpayers, not more tax increases. You can't 
rebuild America by retaxing America. Poverty and joblessness constitute 
a national emergency. The private sector is not creating sufficient 
jobs. Congress has a constitutional obligation and power to coin or 
create money. We can use our power to put millions back to work 
rebuilding our infrastructure.
  H.R. 2990, the National Employment Emergency Act, can accomplish 
this. It's our choice: increase taxes, cut spending, put the economy in 
a stall, or put millions back to work.

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