On the recordSeptember 14, 2011
I appreciate the gentleman from New York yielding to me. I do support this resolution. Here in this Chamber--actually, here in America--we often talk about achievements in terms of metrics: the larger, the better. For a private company, it's impressive when it has a large budget, a large workforce, and a large profit and a large presence. The Federal Government, as an institution, should not talk this way, even though similar assertions would all be true. Washington spends too much, employs too many people, and is too intrusive in the lives of all Americans. The major difference is that private business makes investments that deliver returns, and failure to do so is the demise of the business. The Federal Government's spending, though, often fails to deliver real results. But the Federal Government does not meet its demise; rather, the all-too-often negative consequences fall on taxpayers and usually result in a new government program or one or dozens more. But if we were thinking like a businessperson, we would consider the results that have come from past investments before making another. Two-and-a-half years ago, the previous Congress and this current President implemented a stimulus that ultimately will cost Americans more than $1 trillion. This mega-investment was supposed to create 3.5 million jobs. This investment was supposed to bring an unemployment rate of 6.4 percent last month. But what has actually happened?…
