On the recordJuly 26, 2010
I thank the gentlelady. Madam Speaker, I have to tell you, it really troubles me to be here this evening because once again we have to point to action by House Democrats to bring jobs to the American people and inaction by our Republican colleagues, particularly those who sit in the United States Senate, who have failed to deliver on the promise of jobs to the American people. Now, when President Obama came into office, I think that month, Madam Speaker, we lost something like 750,000 jobs that one month, after having hemorrhaged for over a year thousands and thousands of jobs, not creating a single job in this country. And so then the President comes in and we have to deal with a financial crisis, also inherited from the previous administration. Still, Americans are without jobs. But this Congress didn't stand still. The Democratic leadership in this Congress didn't stand still. We passed significant jobs legislation. First, the stimulus package that created jobs across this country, saved or created 3.5 million jobs around this country in every single State, in every single congressional district, so that Americans could continue working. But we said that wasn't enough. We need to be on the progress of building up our economy and creating more jobs for the American people, creating jobs that are about the 21st century, making sure that Americans don't just get extended unemployment benefits, which I agree we ought to have done. It was the right thing to do.…