Political Quotes

“Mr. President, over the past several months, we have seen some improvement in our economy. One year ago, in the first quarter of 2009, GDP was declining at an annual rate of more than 6 percent. Just 1 year later, in the first quarter of 2010, GDP grew at an annual rate of 3 percent. This marks the third consecutive quarter of real economic growth. It is not just the GDP that is growing. Consumer spending has risen at an annual rate of 3.5 percent this year. Manufacturing output rose 9 percent over the first 4 months of the year. Businesses have increased spending on equipment and boosted their inventory investments. But one economic indicator continues to lag behind--employment. The national unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent. Over the course of this Great Recession, the American economy has lost more than 8 million jobs. In total, 15 million Americans remain out of work. We must act to create jobs and get Americans back to work. We began creating jobs with the 2009 Recovery Act. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports that last year's Recovery Act added 1.2 to 2.8 million people to America's payrolls. In March, Congress passed the HIRE Act. The HIRE Act, which includes a payroll tax exemption for new hires, should help to bolster job creation in the coming months. This week, we are considering the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. That bill will create jobs by providing tax cuts and certainty to American businesses.…”