Lamar Smith: “The differences are stark between President Obama's first year in office and President Trump's first year in office. If…”

“The differences are stark between President Obama's first year in office and President Trump's first year in office. If you just listen to the liberal media, you would think our country is worse off under President Trump. However, if you follow the facts, Americans are far better off. In 2009, 4 million jobs were lost. In 2017, 1.7 million jobs were created. Gross domestic product in President Obama's first year went down 2.8 percent. It was up 2.3 percent last year. Unemployment in 2009 increased from 7.8 percent to 9.9 percent. It fell in 2017 from 4.8 percent to 4.1 percent, a 17-year low. The Standard & Poor's stock market index was at 1,115 President Obama's first year. It recently hit 2,673. President Trump's policies are helping more Americans get back to work, pay less in taxes, and build their retirement and savings accounts. These are the facts. Mr. Speaker, Americans can accurately say they are better off today than they were 8 years ago, or even 1 year ago. ____________________”