On the recordDecember 5, 2012
Nearly 50 million Americans--over 10 million children-- live in poverty and 46 million Americans on food stamps. According to the Census Bureau, without Social Security over 50 percent of people 65 and older would live and die in poverty. Why do we accept poverty? Why do we accept massive unemployment? Over 20 million Americans are without work. You cannot escape poverty without a job. Americans want jobs, not unemployment checks. If you don't have a source of income, you can't own a home. The middle class is disappearing. An unfair tax system is causing wealth to accelerate upwards, which is why I oppose the Bush tax cuts. But more tax increases and no massive jobs program are a prescription for disaster. We need more taxpayers, not more tax increases. You can't rebuild America by retaxing America. Poverty and joblessness constitute a national emergency. The private sector is not creating sufficient jobs. Congress has a constitutional obligation and power to coin or create money. We can use our power to put millions back to work rebuilding our infrastructure. H.R. 2990, the National Employment Emergency Act, can accomplish this. It's our choice: increase taxes, cut spending, put the economy in a stall, or put millions back to work. ____________________
