Bill Clinton: “This is not only a comparison--it should cause us to wonder what our national policy is--it is also a reflection of how…”

“This is not only a comparison--it should cause us to wonder what our national policy is--it is also a reflection of how we have no economic policy in America right now. We don't have an emphasis on creating jobs, prosperity, and economic opportunity. Our leader, Senator Daschle, came to the floor earlier this week and, in a series of charts, made clear that we are not attending to America's business. We all know we have foreign policy challenges. I, for one, have supported our men and women in uniform and supported our need for homeland security. I will continue to do so because our threats are real, and we have to deal with them. But we are a great nation. We can do more than one thing at a time. We should be paying attention to our economy. We should be taking care of our unemployed workers. It is the right thing to do. I hope we will do it because it takes care of people. Look at this next chart. Every dollar we spend on unemployment insurance adds $2.50 to our gross domestic product. It is a good investment. Why? Because when the unemployed get those benefits--when Mr. Batista and others like him finally get some help--what do they do? They go out and spend it. They have no other means. They have to buy food, they have to pay the rent, and they have to make a car payment. The money goes right into the economy, and it provides stimulus.…”