Charles Rangel: “12:40, and 8 million people without work. Some of these people have been described as being ``unproductive.'' But all of…”

“12:40, and 8 million people without work. Some of these people have been described as being ``unproductive.'' But all of these people have been promised that this Congress of this great Nation, that we would not only feel their pain, but we would do something about it. We waited patiently, because people have confidence in the President and the Congress. When the flag went up, we saluted it; when we were hit, we responded; and during the war, we are the patriots. But we kind of felt that in order to stimulate the economy, that it was not just tax relief. Everyone agreed if it was temporary, if it was direct, if it could stimulate, encourage investment, we should do it. Nobody said, nobody said, that these 8 million people had to be held hostage until we did it their way. That type of thinking never came up. But, yes, we went into some kind of a conference, and we spent a lot of time on taxes. And the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means would have to agree that there were a lot of concessions made, concessions that we found unpleasant. But because we were determined that we not leave this House of Representatives without doing something for these 8 million people.”