FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 06, 2006

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

Pelosi: Democrats’ New Direction Rewards Work, Not Just Wealth

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the tepid jobs report released today that showed only 51,000 jobs, just one-third of those needed to keep pace with population growth, were created in September, while real wages have remained stagnant over the last three years.  This week, House Democratic Leaders are delivering major speeches throughout the country to outline Democrats' commitment to restoring the economic security of middle-class families, with speeches today by Congressmen Rahm Emanuel in Chicago, James Clyburn in Cincinnati, and Charles Rangel in Princeton, N.J.

“President Bush and Republicans continue to claim that the economy is on the right track, with President Bush saying today’s jobs report is ‘more good news.’  This once again demonstrates how out of touch the Republicans are, because the U.S. economy is not delivering for middle-class families.

“Corporate profits are up, but the incomes of middle-class families have declined for five straight years.  People are working more productively than ever but their purchasing power is down.  The cost of everything from housing, to health care, to energy is making it harder than ever to make ends meet, tightening the middle-class squeeze.  The Dow is up, but people’s retirements are less secure than ever.  This economy is making the super-rich richer, and leaving middle-class American families further behind. 

“Republicans have no plan for middle-class families and the kitchen table issues they are facing.  Instead, they continue to deliver tax subsidies to Big Oil, tax breaks for the wealthy, and record deficits for American taxpayers.”

“Democrats are offering a New Direction that rewards work, not just wealth and expands opportunity and economic security to all Americans.  We will raise the minimum wage, repeal current tax incentives that serve to export American jobs overseas, and enact middle-class tax cuts to spur economic growth and encourage businesses to invest in research and development.”

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi