Rep. Phil Hare: Bush Economy Has Left Middle Class Behind

Tuesday , January 30, 2007

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WASHINGTON, DC-Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) today released the following statement in response to President Bush's visit to Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria highlighting "the strength of the national economy." Hare's district borders Peoria.

"If one measures the strength of the economy by corporate profits, rising stock prices, and record CEO pay, President Bush has fostered a period of great success.

"However, in Peoria and across the country, average, hard-working families are being left behind by the policies of this President.

"America has lost 3 million manufacturing jobs during the last 6 years. In fact, the Bush administration has presided over the slowest job growth in over 70 years.

"In addition, 5.4 million more Americans slipped into poverty between 2000 and 2005. And now more than one of every six American children can be counted among those living in poverty.

"Districts like mine in Western Illinois have been disproportionately affected by the President's ill-advised economic agenda.

"The latest statistics from the Department of Labor show that Illinois ranks 49th in the nation in terms of job growth and economic recovery since 2003.

"One must look no further than Galesburg, where unfair trade policies like NAFTA and CAFTA drove 1600 good paying Maytag jobs from Illinois to Sonora, Mexico.

"Meanwhile, health care, energy, and education have all become increasingly harder to afford for average families. Instead of working to ease the burden on people in need, the President and his allies in Congress have pushed through enormous tax cuts for the wealthy, leaving our children and grandchildren with a projected $2 trillion deficit.

"If President Bush wants to truly gauge the strength of the economy, I invite him to visit Galesburg and cities like it to see this 'middle-class squeeze' first hand. After a few such stops, the President would realize his policies are eroding the very backbone that has helped build this country for generations."