| WASHINGTON, DC
- House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today delivered the weekly
Republican address on the economy, the Obama Administration’s
trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill that isn’t working, and
Republican efforts to offer better solutions. Audio of the address is
available here and video of the address will be available here once the embargo is lifted at 6am Saturday.
Following is the text of Rep. Cantor’s address: "Hello.
I’m House Republican Whip Eric Cantor and I have the great privilege of
representing the hardworking people of Virginia’s seventh district. "American
families and small businesses today are struggling. Republicans have
put forth thoughtful, serious and comprehensive plans of action that
put jobs first. We offered an economic recovery plan that would have
revitalized struggling small businesses and helped middle-class
families by putting Americans back to work. Yet, the President, in
tandem with Democrats in Congress, have pushed through a $787 billion
dollar bill full of pork barrel spending, government waste, and massive
borrowing cleverly called ‘stimulus.’ "There
is no doubt that our nation faces many challenges, but the plain truth
is that President Obama’s economic decisions have not produced jobs,
have not produced prosperity, and simply have not worked. President
Obama has already asked you to borrow trillions of dollars, and so far
nearly 3 million jobs have been lost alone this year. "Remember
the promises? They promised you that if you paid for their stimulus,
jobs would be created immediately. In fact, they said that
unemployment would stay under eight percent. Yet just months later,
they are telling us to brace for unemployment to climb over ten
percent. They promised jobs created. Now they scramble to find a way
to play games with government numbers by claiming jobs saved. "Simply
put, this is now President Obama’s economy and the American people are
beginning to question whether his policies are working.
"But that doesn’t mean we are out of options. Together, we can
bring about a strong and real recovery. We can create an environment
that empowers small businesses and American workers to thrive. We must
focus on job creation and restoring the financial and retirement
security lost by millions of Americans. And for the sake of our
children and our long-term fiscal viability, Washington must stop
spending money that it doesn’t have.
"That’s why
every day, my Republican colleagues and I are fighting to enact
policies that will stabilize our economy, create jobs and ignite
prosperity. You and your family deserve no less.
"Since January, we have offered alternatives to the
out-of-control, big government, Democrat agenda that unfortunately
became law and has completely failed to create jobs. Our plan is simple
and smart and its strength is that it doesn’t invest in Washington, it
invests in the American people.
"We believe
Washington should stop its war on the Middle Class and reduce taxes so
every hardworking, taxpaying-family in America will see an immediate
increase in their income. A prosperous middle class is critical for
our entire nation’s well being. "We believe
Washington must stop targeting America’s small businesses and instead
should empower them by allowing employers to take a tax deduction to
free up funds to retain and hire new workers. Our history proves that
it is the small businessmen and women who will reignite our economy by
putting people back to work. Washington should get out of the way and
encourage small business employers to start or grow a business. "Lastly,
we believe Washington must be responsible for every taxpayer dollar
that is spent. Washington MUST live within its means. We will not
support taxes hikes to pay for even more so-called stimulus spending.
"The overwhelming majority of Americans are working hard and
are playing by the rules. They are providing for their families and
doing their part to return America to the pinnacle of prosperity. "Their
reward? Trillions more in debt. For the ‘stimulus’ alone, Washington
borrowed nearly ten thousand dollars from every American household.
Let me ask you: do you feel $10,000 richer today? Do you feel $10,000
better off? If you don’t, please know most people agree. "That
is why we continue our fight because during these tough economic times,
it often seems that Washington is offering you few choices except for
spend and borrow. I’m here today to let you know there are alternatives
– common-sense tax relief; smart and necessary reductions in spending,
and intelligent policies that do not bankrupt our nation. "That
is why I’m asking you to join our fight for accountability and
common-sense. Call your Congressman, your Senator, and your President
and let them know that you think Washington should stop the reckless
spending, stop the careless borrowing and stop the war on the Middle
Class. We can do better and we will do better, but first we have to
first come together to change what is going on. The time is critical,
the choice is yours. "I’m Eric Cantor, and on behalf of my Republican colleagues, join with us to get Washington working for you once again. "Thank you for listening." | 
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