By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
At a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee today on the Supreme Court budget for the fiscal year 2010, Justice Stephen Breyer told the committee that “If you do have a Judge you do have to have a courtroom and in Los Angeles there is a big hole in the ground,” in response to a question from Congressman John Culberson (R-TX) on how Congress could help them with their workload.
By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
Correspondent Michael Ruhl reports on the recent release of the unemployment statistics for March.
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Long Segment [01:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Short Segment [00:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadBy Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Keith Hall testifies before Congress on the nation’s unemployment numbers from March 2009, and how the recession has affected employment.
Hall said that unemployment numbers have climbed from 8.1 percent to 8.5 percent, and that the industries hardest hit are manufacturing, construction, and temporary services.
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By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
A day after President Barack Obama’s budget was passed by a Congress boiling with partisanship, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report showing unemployment at its highest since 1983. There are now 13.2 million Americans out of work.
The pouring rain in Washington mirrored the sobered mood in the room, as the Joint Economic Committee heard the testimony of Keith Hall, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
March was one of the worst Months on record for unemployment, and when asked outright, Hall told the committee that there were no “bright spots” in the report.
National unemployment climbed to 8.5 percent in March, rising from the level of 8.1 percent in February and 7.6 percent in January.
Hall said that two-thirds of the job loss has happened in the past 5 months. Every state is in recession for the first time in 30 years, according to Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
Official unemployment numbers do not encompass underemployed Americans or those who have officially left the workforce. It is reported that 16 percent of the country is out of work or underemployed. One in four of those unemployed have been out of work for more than six months, and of those, half have been looking for work for over a year, Hall said.
Maloney highlighted that last month, 8,000 jobs were lost in the news publishing industry. Those losses total 70,000 job cuts since Dec. 2007, Hall said, adding that most job losses have been see in the manufacturing, construction, and temporary services industries. The only area to see any growth in March was the Healthcare industry, Hall said.
Ranking Committee member Senator Sam Brownback (R-KA) noted that the impact of the ongoing recession was not severe for almost a year after it began in December 2007. Brownback attributed recent dramatic jumps in job losses over the past five months to the lockup in the credit markets and the government bailouts that followed.
The Federal Reserve believes that unemployment will peak at 8.8 percent this year, but Ranking House Committee Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) said that the unemployment rate is already higher than what the administration anticipated for 2009. Brady said that the Obama Administration’s “optimistic assumptions” would not get the country out of its current mess.
President Obama’s Economic Stimulus package was passed by Congress earlier this year, and saw an unprecedented amount of money placed into public works meant to put people back to work. Obama has pledged the legislation will save or create three to four million jobs over the next two years.
Read the report here: Bureau of Labor Statistics Report
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
In the midst of Congressional infighting over the $3.5 trillion budget proposed by Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling it responsible.
Republicans say the budget proposed by Democrats will put the U.S. in ruinous debt with unnecessary spending, and will create no assurance of a return for such a substantial investment.
“The difference of opinion on these budgets is indeed a difference of principle,” said Pelosi this morning at a press conference.
Pelosi said the proposal provide a tax cut for 95% of Americans, which, she said, will bring more fairness to the tax code.
“It’s about the principle of opportunity,” said Pelosi. When asked what investments for education the budget will bring, Pelosi answered: “It’s about opportunity in education, about fairness in our healthcare, about fairness in the tax code, it’s about security.”
Pelosi said that under her watch, Congress has done more for education than any in one time in U.S. history.
Pelosi called the Republican budget proposal a “hollow shell of a budget” and that the increase in tax cuts to the wealthy makes an assault on social security benefits, medicare, and medicaid.
When asked about the how the legislative agenda will continue after the break, Pelosi said Congress have to first “reconcile” the budget.
By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
About a week after President Obama presented his budget to congress, House Republicans and Democrats continue with aggressive tactics. Republicans say the budget will leave the country with staggering debt through reckless spending.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called the budget “staggering,” adding that such widespread spending will be put at the expense of future generations of Americans. Boehner’s comments that the country has had to tighten it’s belt everywhere except in Washington echoes sentiments made by critics of the budget presented to Congress by the President.
“I think it is wrong to deal with these challenges by mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren,” Boehner said. The proposed budget backed by Democrats “makes the economy worse and will destroy more American jobs,” will double U.S. debt over the next five years and triple economic debt in ten years, he said.
On Wednesday, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (R), who is the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, introduced a budget solution he says will curb spending, create jobs and leave the U.S. with $3.6 trillion less debt than the Democrats’ proposed budget.
Boehner does not support Democrats plan to raise energy taxes in the middle of a recession and said that it could cost every family as much as $3,100 a year in additional energy costs. “Think of the millions of American jobs that are dependent on a lot of energy use,” said Boehner. When asked if there is the possibility for a compromise, Boehner said “Oh yeah, I’m only for losing one million jobs, or I’m only willing to raise taxes on people $2,000 a family…No there is no compromise!”
In the middle of a recession, Congress cannot “throw a wet blanket on a weak economy, you’ll smother it,” Boehner said.
Toxic Asset Relief Program (TARP), allows the United States Department of the Treasury to purchase or insure up to $700 billion of “troubled” assets. “It’s just out of control,” said Boehner. No one has any idea where the money is going, how much is left, or where it went and the American people have a right to know where this money is going, stated Boehner.
Thousands of Americans lost their jobs in January; responding to questions regarding Congress making sacrifices by perhaps taking a pay cut, Boehner replied only that, “I understand.”
Congressman Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) talks with TRNS correspondent Christina Lovato at the 2009 House Republican Radio & Blog Row about how middle-class families and small businesses are having to make sacrifices in their budget for bailouts, the G-20 summit and how the U.S. is seeing the highest level of borrowing ever. Harper believes the biggest issue we are going to have is what to do about cap and trade. (06:35)
By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
At a Republican Radio Row, Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) spoke about President Obama’s budget. He is disappointed at the partisan atmosphere which has swallowed Congress in the budget process and in legislation thus far in this Congress.
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By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
Congressman Ted Poe (R-Texas) spoke with Michael Ruhl at the House Republican Conference Radio Row concerning what kind of budget Ronald Reagan would put together in this economy. He emphasized the importance of the Government staying out of the private sector, the limited role of small government, and the need for limited taxation.
Poe called the President Obama’s budget an abomination, but said that the Republicans may themselves be spending too much in their budget.
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By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
At the House Republican Conference Radio Row, Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) spoke with Michael Ruhl about President Obama’s budget, and how it takes freedom away from American citizens through over regulation and over taxation. He said that it shackles the country in “the gold chains of the welfare state”. Akin said that the Obama administration wants to pass on debt to future generations, which he said would make ours the opposite of the greatest generation.
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