(National Republican Senatorial Committee) – As the White House hosts its “jobs summit” today and discussions heat up surrounding a potential second stimulus bill, Democrats appear to have conceded that their $787 billion “stimulus” debacle has failed at providing the much-needed economic recovery that President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) promised when they rammed the bill through Congress in February 2009.
According to the Wall Street Journal today, “House and Senate leaders plan to craft major jobs packages by year’s end, as they respond to intensifying pressure to show they are doing more to ease unemployment… With joblessness at 10.2%, lawmakers are anxious about a possible voter revolt.”
However, in October 2009 Reid vehemently defended the $787 billion bill and claimed that “the stimulus has rescued the world economy from the brink of a depression,” according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. Reid went so far as to pat himself on the back and take credit for the legislation, boasting that “we’ve done a pretty good job… there’s no question our hard work is paying off.’”
Contrary to Reid’s self aggrandizing rhetoric, more than 3 million Americans have lost their jobs this year alone and the nation’s unemployment rate skyrocketed to 10.2 percent in October 2009. Now Reid and the Democrats are attempting to rush another massive $2.5 trillion government-run health care plan through Congress, paid for by families, seniors, and small businesses in Nevada.
“Evidently Reid’s constituents don’t agree that he’s ‘done a pretty good job,’ considering he’s one of the most vulnerable incumbent Senators facing re-election next year. Instead of staging summits and photo-ops to disguise the fact that the first stimulus failed, Reid should explain to his constituents why the Democrats need a ‘jobs summit’ if his so-called “hard work is paying off?” asked National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Brian Walsh.
“As Nevada and the nation face excruciatingly high unemployment rates, Reid and the Democrats should immediately reject the notion of a second stimulus and go back to the drawing board with Republicans to drive down the costs in their massive government health care takeover,” Walsh continued. “There’s no doubt that Reid will be held accountable for his reckless out-of-control spending agenda next November.”
The White House excluded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) from the White House job summit guest list, despite the fact that they “represent many of the country’s largest employers,” according to the Washington Post.
The Post reported today that these groups were excluded as a result of their opposition to Obama’s massive government health care takeover and their support of free trade agreements, which labor unions in attendance at the job summit oppose.
Background Information:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) “Said The Stimulus Has Rescued The World Economy From The Brink Of A Depression,” And Said, “There’s No Question Our Hard Work Is Paying Off.” “Vice President Joe Biden returned to Nevada on Friday in an attempt to convince voters in one of the nation’s most economically hard-hit states that the $787 billion stimulus is working and to re-elect the man who helped push it through Congress, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev… While introducing Biden to the friendly crowd, Reid said the stimulus has rescued the world economy from the brink of a depression. ‘We’ve done a pretty good job,’ he said. ‘The ditch is not as deep as it was. There’s no question our hard work is paying off.’” (Anjeanette Damon, “Stimulus Is Working, Vice President Joe Biden Tells Reno Crowd,” Reno Gazette-Journal, 10/16/09)
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