Rangel: Let's Fight a War Against Joblessness Instead

Statement

Congressman Charles B. Rangel issued the following statement today after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 169,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 7.3 percent in August, the lowest since December 2008. With businesses adding 152,000 jobs, this marks the 42nd consecutive month of private sector job growth.

"Today's jobs report indicates the resiliency and progress being made by American businesses and American workers. Yet if we are going to continue our economic recovery, we must not allow ourselves to become embroiled in a costly and intractable war in Syria. Now is the time to turn our focus away from involvement in overseas conflict and concentrate on continuing to improve the lives of American workers.

The cost of each Tomahawk missile used in a potential conflict with Syria, ranging from $607,000 to $1.4 million or more, could better be used right here at home. Right now, that money could be going towards helping the 50 million Americans living in food-insecure households and addressing the income inequality crisis we face today. If we are serious about continuing our economic progress, we must confront these problems head on, and not divert time and money into another war that will ultimately prove too costly to American taxpayers and damaging to our own national security.

I believe that we in Congress should come together to wage war not in Syria, but here in America, against poverty, joblessness, homelessness, income-inequality, and hunger when we find seven million U.S. households struggling to feed themselves . That is in our true best interest, and a war I would gladly support."

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