Nine Months Since The Stimulus Bill Passed; Yet Americans Continue To Lose Their Jobs

Floor Speech

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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