Lloyd Bentsen: “for far too many Americans, this economic stimulus package is a ``day late and a dollar short.'' For months, my…”

“for far too many Americans, this economic stimulus package is a ``day late and a dollar short.'' For months, my constituents have shared their concerns about the state of our economy. They knew we were in a recession even before September 11th and the official economic benchmarks reflected as much. The stock market was sagging, corporate investment was declining and consumer confidence was down. The September 11th attacks on New York and Washington sent economic shockwaves throughout the nation and the reverberations are still being felt in my State, especially for those Texans whose livelihoods depended on the aviation and hospitality industries. In Houston, the sudden collapse of the Enron Corporation has dimmed the Holiday spirits of the over 4,500 Enron employees who received word last week that Enron was terminating their employment. Mr. Speaker, Americans have been courageous during this uncertain time and, all they asked of us, is to do what we can to ensure that the period of unemployment for effected workers is brief and that their families are provided with the income support and health care they need during this difficult time. Regrettably, the Republican Leadership has kept us here at this late hour for a bill that misses the mark on both counts.”