Issue Position: Jobs/Economy

Issue Position

With high national unemployment and an even higher unemployment rate in the 5th District, it's clear that the current policies are not working. Instead, over the past three years, government spending has grown 36%. In stark contrast, the average family budget has declined 4%. Furthermore, unemployment has remained above 9% for 21 consecutive months for the first time since the Great Depression, despite an $862 billion "stimulus" plan. As a result, our national debt is at the record level of $14 trillion. As former Clinton White House Chief of Staff, Erskine Bowles, stated, "This debt is like a cancer… It is truly going to destroy the country from within."

For the first time in America's history, the next generation could be less prosperous and have less opportunity than the generation that preceded it. Less opportunity, less freedom, and a lower standard of living will not be the legacy that I leave the children in my district. The American people spoke clearly last November. They want us to change directions--stop the borrowing and spending. To that end, I am working to implement policies that will help to grow the economy and get Americans back to work.

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