Political Quotes

“I want to thank Congressman Hastings for the opportunity to speak on this issue. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue to the American economy and the American public. My friend from North Carolina suggests that economists don't think this is a good thing. Well, Mark Zandi, who's the chief economist at Moody's, who was one of President Bush's economists and supporters, says, ``No form of the fiscal stimulus has proved more effective during the past 2 years than energy UI benefits, providing a bang for the buck of $1.61,'' for every dollar put in. Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist--that's not a bad little opportunity prize to win--``One main reason there aren't enough jobs right now is weak consumer demand. Helping the unemployed, by putting money in the pockets of people who badly need it, helps support consumer spending. That's why the Congressional Budget Office rates aid to the unemployed as a highly cost-effective form of economic stimulus.'' Timely, targeted, and temporary are the three keys to stimulus spending; and unemployment compensation goes to people who are the Purple Hearts of this economic recession, an economic recession caused by George W. Bush. My friend from North Carolina says we're forgetting history. I'll tell you about history. Under Bill Clinton, we had a budget surplus.…”