Cantor: Rising Unemployment Not Acceptable, Americans Deserve Stronger Economic Leadership

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy lost 263,000 jobs in September, raising the unemployment rate to an alarming 9.8%:

"Since President Obama signed his stimulus bill into law, millions of Americans have found themselves out of work. Every job lost represents a family in economic crisis. Continued job loss does not equal success despite claims to the contrary, and the American people deserve stronger economic leadership. Families across the country are struggling to cut costs and cope with a tough job market, and they see a massive disconnect between that reality and the President's claims of success and continued spending.

"Beginning in January, House Republicans laid out a serious and substantive agenda that put jobs first, but unfortunately House Democrats, along with the White House, instead took an unfocused, ‘go it alone' approach. In January, the Administration argued that an immediate ‘jolt', coupled with swift action, was needed to stop job losses and keep the unemployment rate under 8.5%. America now faces an unemployment rate that is quickly approaching 10%, and an environment where there are six job seekers available for every position. The stimulus has clearly failed to reach the Administration's stated goals, and we need to refocus on bipartisan ways to overcome this challenge. Real job creation is a priority that we should all share."

"Washington cannot afford to continue to make mistakes that cost Americans greatly, both today and in the future, while heaping debt upon our children. Instead, we should put partisanship aside and prioritize the way Washington spends your money by putting an end to lower priority and sometimes wasteful spending, and finding ways to responsibly pay down our debt so that our children can inherit a thriving economy and limitless opportunity."