The weak economic recovery of the 2000s under the previous Administration did not lead to a further reduction in poverty.

During the economic expansion of the Clinton era, when unemployment hovered at around 4 percent, poverty fell to 11.3 percent, its lowest level in decades.

American families have lost a decade due the failed economic policies of the Bush administration.

Congress and the President worked swiftly to expand and extend the unemployment insurance program for the thousands of workers losing their jobs each month.

I am optimistic that more Americans will be heading back to work as more stimulus projects get underway.

This recession, which began in December 2007, is now the longest and deepest in the post-world War II period.

The default and foreclosure rates for these mortgages in my New York district are relatively low compared to the rest of the country, but rising foreclosures continue to inflict pain in communities throughout the nation.

Congress and the administration have undertaken numerous efforts to stem the tide of foreclosures.

We must do everything we possibly can to keep American families in their homes, to stabilize our housing prices, stabilize our economy.

I have long championed policies to support working families, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The Working Families Flexibility Act, which I have sponsored in the House, will ultimately benefit all American employees.