The first Friday of every month is more than just an excuse for the monthly office pizza party - it's when the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts out their unemployment report, an event that is sure to grow in intensity with every passing month as November approaches. After a moment of anticipation on Friday morning comes the deluge of spin from congressmen to campaign officials, to reporters, to bloggers, to the guy next to you in line at the coffee place.
Get the primary sources fast by searching our archive of Speeches and Public Statements section at votesmart.org
After the noise has died down, say Monday morning, go to votesmart.org/public-statements.
- From there select “Congressional” for Office
- Select your state
- Type "Jobs" or “Jobs Report” into the Keyword Search bar. You'll get statements from your senators and representatives on the latest jobs report.
You can also search for speeches from the President and his cabinet members, Presidential candidates, or really just about any politician. Of course, you can also search for jobs-related legislation, interest group ratings from labor groups, and candidate answers on our Political Courage Test that deal with jobs and job creation.
So when the news is getting the best of you the first Friday in August, remember to use votesmart.org to get the facts.
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UPDATE: Given the recent Supreme Court ruling (and subsequent commentary), we've edited our 2009 summary of the Affordable Care Act to make it even easier to understand what's actually in the bill. And while we're talking about legislation, it's worth pointing out that our summary of the recently passed 'Farm Bill' is live on our site. Among many other things the bill eliminates farm subsidies and reduces funding for Food Stamps.
