September 9, 2008

Democratic Senators Discuss Need For Economic Recovery Package

Washington, DC—Democratic Senators Charles Schumer, Debbie Stabenow and Bob Casey joined Jared Bernstein, director of the Living Standards Program for the Economic Policy Institute, at a press conference today to discuss the need for an economic recovery package that creates jobs, strengthens the middle class and addresses the economic realities of working families.

“Middle class families are not fools. They know that the economy is not strong,” Schumer said. “But apparently the President, his Republican allies in Congress, and John McCain do not, it is clear to us, and to the American people, that we need a middle-class focused Economic Recovery Package. We need one now – it cannot wait.”

Said Casey: “The economic data tells us what many of us have been sounding the alarm on for months: the American economy continues to struggle, families continue to suffer and the White House is asleep at the wheel, we need to pass a stimulus package now to help get the economy back on track and provide some relief to the American people.”

“So far this year the nation has lost over 600,000 jobs, unemployment has risen sharply, and paychecks have consistently lagged inflation,” Bernstein said.  “The first stimulus package helped, but it failed to reverse the job losses and it is now out of the system.  Squeezed middle-class families need Congress to quickly craft a second package, one focused on direct job creation through infrastructure and state fiscal relief.”

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