Jim Nussle: “I rise in support of H.R. 2--``The Jobs and Growth Act of 2003.'' This bill is appropriately named--it provides tax…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 2--``The Jobs and Growth Act of 2003.'' This bill is appropriately named--it provides tax relief to boost economic growth and create jobs. And that is what workers and their families in Iowa and across the nation need today--a stronger economy and more jobs. We cannot afford to sit back and do nothing. We are rising to the challenge and taking action to get our economy growing again. We will help ensure that every worker who wants a job can be fully employed. The economy is struggling to overcome a number of shocks that no one anticipated: the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; a recession; the ongoing war on terror; military conflicts in Afghanistan and in Iraq; and a bursting of the stock market bubble. We should be thankful that our Nation's economy has been relatively resilient in the face of such shocks. Things could be much worse. In 2001, we passed tax relief legislation--including $40 billion in tax rebates--that was perfectly timed to help keep the recession from being worse than it was. Last year, we passed stimulus legislation-- ``The Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act''--that included business investment incentives and extended unemployment benefits. Without these policies, the economy would be in much worse shape and an additional 1 rac{1}{2} million jobs would have been lost. But things aren't as good as we want them to be.”