The U.S. has the ability to grow fast, create jobs and raise living standards for all. We know this from our history and from the strength of our constitutional system of markets, limited government and economic freedom.

 

 

However, we’re in a phase where the checks and balances that protect the growth process aren’t working very well. Washington itself is growing fast, yet unemployment outside Washington is high and rising. The dollar is weak causing lower living standards, and the backbone of the American economy, small business, is stalled.

 

 

While there’s plenty of blame to go around, I’d like to mention four principal causes of this deep recession and then discuss possible new directions.

 

Opening Remarks by Mallory Factor

 

Chairman: Summit on the Economy and Employment

 

The Capitol-Washington, DC Wednesday, September 30, 2009

 

Chairman Pence, Chairman McCotter, Members of Congress, and those of you participating from around the country, thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

 

 

PLEASE JOIN US TODAY

A Summit on the Economy and Employment

September 30, 2009

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

HVC 201 AB, U.S. Capitol Visitors Center

OR

Via UStream TV by clicking here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/a-summit-on-the-economy-and-employment

 

American families have concerns and questions about our recessed economy, unemployment, and government spending, deficits and debt.

On Wednesday, September 30, the Summit on the Economy and Employment will address these concerns and questions of hard working Americans.

Panelists in The Summit on The Economy and Employment:

Diana Furchtgott-Roth - Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Employment Policy at the Hudson Institute

We invite you to participate with us either in-person or virtually - via the Internet on UStream TV.

The panelists will answer questions from the audience as well as from citizens and groups across America. The Summit on the Economy and Employment will be open to the public and the press.

A Summit on the Economy and Employment

 

When:

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

 

Where:

United States Capitol

Capitol Visitors Center

HVC 201 A-B

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

 

About This Event:

American families have concerns and questions about our recessed economy, unemployment, and government spending, deficits and debt.

 

The House Republican Policy Committee, in cooperation with the House Republican Conference, will host a Summit on the Economy and Employment, on Wednesday, September 30th, to address these concerns and questions of hard working Americans.

 

Reps. McCotter and Pence to Host Art Laffer and Other Leading Economists at Summit

 

Washington, DC – American families have concerns and questions about our recessed economy, unemployment, and government spending, deficits and debt.

 

On Wednesday, September 30, the House Republican Policy Committee, in cooperation with the House Republican Conference, will hold a Summit on the Economy and Employment and will address these concerns and questions of hard-working Americans.

 

Congressman Marsha Blackburn (TN-7) introuduced H.Con.Res. 185, a Sense of Congress Resolution that would request the President to certify the qualifications and responsibiites of certain special advisors known as "czars". The resolution has 93 original cosponsors.

 

- In an appearance this morning on NBC's Meet the Press, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) discussed health care, the War in Afghanistan, and the dramatic expansion of the size of government under the current Administration. Leader Boehner highlighted House Republicans' better solutions on health care - including allowing the American people to buy insurance across state lines and enacting medical liability reform - and called on the President to scrap his costly government takeover of health care and hit the "reset" button so Republicans and Democrats can work together on a bipartisan bill that reduces health care costs, expands coverage, and doesn't break the bank. Following are highlights of Boehner's appearance and video of the interview:

In response to President Obama's announcement on America's missile defense program, U.S. Representative Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), has issued the following statement:

 

"Today, on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland, President Obama announced that he will abandon the country's missile defense program, effectively abandoning our strategic relationship with Poland and the Czech Republic.

 

"The Polish Ministry of Defense Spokeswoman said of the move, ‘This is catastrophic for Poland.' To be clear, this is catastrophic for all free nations.

 

Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement after President Obama spoke in New York City about America's financial markets:

 

"It is important that our financial markets are sound, and it is clear that we need smarter regulation - not necessarily more regulation. The culture of bailouts must end, and instead of adding yet another layer to the current patchwork regulatory system, we need to bring stability and security back to the market so credit starts flowing again, the housing market is revitalized, and jobs are created.

 

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers released the following statement after President Barack Obama urged Congress to pass health care reform.

 

"I share the President's goal of reforming health care in this country, but do not believe that a government take over of health care is the best solution. Since the beginning of the discussion, I have been advocating an approach that is neither Democrat nor Republican, but that is right for American families. That means reforms that preserve the special doctor-patient relationship, lowers costs and makes our nation healthier."

 

In his remarks to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, President Obama was certainly trying his best to present an image of bipartisanship in working towards health care legislation. Unfortunately, his actions don't match his words.

 

The Congressional Oversight Committee today released a report on the use of TARP funds in support of the domestic auto industry. While noting that the measure could have "resulted in savings for the government in other ways," the report stated that some but not all funds are likely to be recovered.

U.S. Representative Thaddeus McCotter, a Michigan Republican who supported the bridge loans and continually supports initiatives aimed at assisting our domestic auto industry and all manufacturing, issued the following statement in response:

 

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced today that Cong. Charles Boustany (R-LA) will deliver a Republican address following the President's speech to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday, September 9th. Boustany, a doctor with more than 20 years of medical experience, has long advocated for reforms that lower health care costs for all Americans and believes that maintaining the doctor-patient relationship must be a critical component of any proposal.

 

During a time of economic crisis and high unemployment, Democrats enacted legislation to restrict consumers' access to credit. This legislation has been particularly harmful for small businesses and families, which rely on many types of credit products to finance their day-to-day operations and household budgets.

In the five full months since President Obama signed his stimulus bill into law, the number of employed Americans has dropped by 2,261,000, causing the unemployment rate to climb to 9.4%. In January, Republicans devised a recovery plan focused on getting Americans back to work. Instead of working together, the president and his majority party in Congress chose to go it alone, and pushed through a $787 billion spending bill full of pork-barrel projects and low priority programs, paying for it by borrowing from your children and their children.

 

Democrats continue to claim that their health care legislation will not increase the federal deficit, even though the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has revealed the truth: the bill actually increases the deficit by $239 billion. One of the reasons it's so expensive is the plethora of new federal government programs it would create. House Republican Leader John Boehner offered the following comment:

 

Even as President Obama campaigned on a platform of change and transparency, recent dealings between the pharmaceutical industry and the Administration raise serious questions as to whether the drug lobby is helping to bankroll a multimillion dollar severance package for one of the President's senior advisors:

 

Several weeks ago, the President announced an agreement with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to achieve $80 billion in savings as part of health care "reform." The Congressional Budget Office has previously found that eliminating the Part D "doughnut hole"- one element of the PhRMA "deal"-would cause Medicare premiums to rise by 50 percent.