Byron Dorgan: “I am not someone who believes Democrats are all right and the Republicans are all wrong. I believe both political…”

“I am not someone who believes Democrats are all right and the Republicans are all wrong. I believe both political parties contribute to this process. We do not have to debate theory today about jobs. Let's just debate what we know. Here is what we know. In the 8 years under the Presidency of President Clinton, 237,000 jobs a month were created. Since President Bush took over, we have lost 70,000 jobs a month. There were 22.7 million jobs created during the 8 years of the Clinton administration; since President Bush took office, 2.3 million jobs lost. On June 7, 2002, the White House said: The tax cut will help create 800,000 new jobs by the end of 2002. In fact, we lost 1.9 million jobs during that period. Finally, take a look at the red line, and my colleagues will see where these jobs have gone, and my colleagues will see the improvement about which my colleague just talked. They said, gosh, things are turning around. Here is the improvement; right here. All of us want good jobs in this country. They come with three things in my judgment: Fiscal policy that is responsible--no, not $500 billion deficits, which this administration is proposing and running up but fiscal policy that is responsible, trade policies that are fair to this country, to its businesses and workers, and especially as a result of good policies in both of those areas, confidence the American people would have in the future.”