Political Quotes

“If Members look at the list of things John Sweeney has highlighted, he understands what I have just described: the rules of economics, the fact that a lot of working families have not been part of the grand bargain in Washington for a long time. John Sweeney says: Let's extend unemployment benefits. That certainly is something on which money is well spent. Every dollar you put into unemployment benefits increases economic activity by $1.73, up to $2.15. It is a terrific boost to the economy, plus it goes to the people who need it the most, the ones who are out of work. Mr. Sweeney also calls for an increase in food stamp benefits. Many of these people are not tax filers and don't receive unemployment benefits, so they would benefit. They are struggling with their jobs, trying to get by, and many of them still qualify for food stamps. He also talks about a tax rebate targeted toward middle and lower income taxpayers. He talks about acceleration of construction projects. That is money well spent too. It isn't just the Tax Code we should be looking at. There are other ways to move the economy and do the right thing for America. One of the things Mr. Sweeney notes in his letter is that there is a backlog of $100 billion in needed repairs to American schools. He also says there are 6,000 bridges that have been declared unsafe.”