GOP Leader Response: Roughly three million Americans have lost their jobs since President Obama signed into law a trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ with promises that it would create jobs ‘immediately’ and keep unemployment below eight percent. Joblessness remains at double-digits and unemployment for younger workers is more than 25 percent. While Democrats moved on to pursuing a costly government
takeover of health care, House Republicans have focused on one question: “where are the jobs?”
• Under Pressure From House Republicans, Obama Administration Dropped Controversial “Saved or Created” Metric. On November 24, 2009, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to the Vice President asking him to stop using the jobs “saved or created” metric. This was right after it was discovered that jobs “saved or created” included jobs in “phantom” Congressional districts (including 10 in Ohio!). A report by the independent Government Accountability Office found that 1 in 10 jobs “saved or created” in the “stimulus” don’t even exist. The Administration has since adopted a new measurement, which is even more liberal with the facts, according to ABC News: “if the project is being funded with stimulus dollars – even if the person worked at that company or organization before and will work the same place afterwards – that’s a stimulus job.”
• Boehner Releases List of Economists Who Support Reining In Federal Spending – vs. More “Stimulus” – to Create Jobs. “President Obama last week told a group of Republican members of Congress who were at the White House that, every economist he has talked to said they need to spend more money to create jobs and stimulate the economy. The President then asked them to produce a list of economists that say we shouldn’t spend money to get us out of the problem. Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) todayreleased such a list. 222 economists from across the nation signed on to support a statement that cautions against out of control federal spending and too much national debt. The economists all agree that the 2009 stimulus bill did not succeed in its goal of creating jobs.” (Heritage Foundation, “The Foundry” Blog, 12/17/09)
• Majority of Americans Oppose ‘Stimulus,’ Even More Say It Has Wasted Taxpayer Dollars. A recent CNN poll showed that “3 of 4 Americans say much of stimulus money wasted.” Another survey from CNN out on Monday found that 56 percent of Americans oppose the ‘stimulus’ program.
REPUBLICANS’ BETTER SOLUTIONS: “A NO-COST JOBS PLAN” TO HELP WORKING FAMLIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES
While Democrats moved on to pursuing a government takeover health care, House Republicans kept their focus on one question: “where are the jobs?” Republicans began presenting President Obama with solutions to help small businesses create jobs as early as his first week in office, only to be rebuffed in favor of more government ‘stimulus’ spending. Last month, Republicans presented President Obama
with a “no-cost jobs plan.” Our economy will ultimately recover, but it will do so because of the hard work and entrepreneurship of the American people, not wasteful Washington spending
