Congresswoman Laura Richardson Rises in Support of Job Creation, Economic Recovery and Debt Reduction

Mr. Speaker, as the 112th Congress goes to work on the policies and actions needed to move America forward, Democrats continue to make job creation, economic recovery and debt reduction the top priorities. Unfortunately, the first actions by the new Republican Majority are not consistent with these priorities.

These goals should be accomplished in a way that is aligned with the needs of working families--what will generate good jobs for working people; what will ease the burden for middle class families; what will create long-term economic growth for everyone. Democrats measure everything Congress does by these goals.

In the 37th district of California, things are improving, but unemployment and foreclosure rates are still well above the national average; this is the time to keep moving forward with policies tailored to help working families. Now is not the time to move backwards to policies that got us into this recession in the first place.

The Republicans have employed a lot of rhetoric about jobs and the economy; however, their first actions in control of the House show no follow through. The initial issues being pursued by the GOP are:

The repeal of Health Care Reform. Republicans knew the repeal would go nowhere in the Senate, but still insisted upon wasting valuable time that could have been spent on job creation.

The Republicans have offered what they call a ''Budget Resolution''--but what should be called a ''Budgetless Resolution'' because it contains no numbers, no specifics and, worst of all, no ideas for job creation or economic recovery.

The Budgetless Resolution is a one-page document that makes the vague goal of reducing federal spending to 2008 levels. This budgetless resolution opens the door to reckless slashes in funding to programs that are critical to our fragile economic recovery.

In California alone, Republicans' blind budget slashing would cut 237 million from Title I funding for poor students. The cuts would leave over 332,000 poor students in California without additional academic support that helps them perform to their full potential in school and, ultimately, achieve their dreams and goals; this does not help us stay competitive in the global marketplace. And this is just one example of Republican cuts in one area in one state. Imagine the damage that Republicans' across the board, reckless cuts will do to our economic recovery.

This is not the smart way to manage the budget. It is worse than arbitrary; it is like budgeting with blindfolds on. It gives no thought, no reasons and no real discussion on how the cuts would be made and what the ramifications would be.

Democrats believe that jobs and the economy should be the top priorities and everything we do is measured against those goals. Republicans are failing the test.