Corruption

CORRUPTION -- (House of Representatives - December 08, 2005)

(Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, as the Republican leadership spends more time in the courthouse than the People's House doing the people's business, defending itself from charges of bribery, tax evasion and money laundering, the President is traveling the country telling the American people how incredible this economy is.

Yet, survey after survey shows the American people do not agree with him. This despite the fact that the economy grew 4.2 percent last year. It is the best statistical performance since 1999. Why? Well, in part because very little of this growth is impacting them. 5.4 million more Americans live in poverty than they did before President Bush came into office. Six million more Americans are without health insurance, and the average income fell for the fifth year in a row last year.

The administration's stock explanation for this is always the same, ``September 11. We are at war.''

Well, being at war has not stopped corporate profits from soaring more than 50 percent since 2001. And when you have Members of Congress pleading guilty to having accepted bribes from defense contractors, ongoing investigations into lawmakers' agreeing to perform official acts in return for lavish golf trips, expensive dinners and campaign contributions, it is easy to understand why corporations are doing so well.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to put the needs of families before the special interests of lobbyists.

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