Dan Coats: “today's announcement by the Bureau of Economic Analysis that our economy grew, once again, an anemic rate of 0.5 percent…”

“today's announcement by the Bureau of Economic Analysis that our economy grew, once again, an anemic rate of 0.5 percent during the first quarter of the year is more than discouraging but not surprising. Whether it is burdensome regulations, whether it is a broken Tax Code, or whether it is a continued plunge into national debt, the Obama administration's policies have been and will continue to be a deadweight on our economy. The President continues to make big promises and insists his policies are effective, but the facts speak for themselves. Under President Obama, the median household income has decreased during his presidency and remains 6.5 percent below its prerecession level. If this were an average post-1960s recovery, individuals would have nearly $2,700 more in their wallets. Instead, they have received a decrease of $3,000 per year in their income. This is unacceptable. While the President continues to say the economy is improving, it is clearly not reaching its potential or anywhere close to its potential. At some point, you have to acknowledge the policies aren't working. Here we are 8 years from the beginning of the recession, and the president in the White House insists that his policies are working: Hang in there with us, folks. Things are going to get better. Then these statistics come out that things are not only not getting better, but are getting worse.…”