DJOU: IT’S TIME TO CHANGE DIRECTION, PRIORITIES IN WASHINGTON, DC

“We’ve lost 2.5 million jobs since the stimulus package was created. That’s not progress. That’s taking things in the absolute wrong direction.” 

Washington, DC — Congressman Charles K. Djou (HI-01) appeared on MSNBC today with guest host Cenk Uygur to discuss the current economy, today’s disappointing jobs numbers and the need to create more private sector jobs by enacting pro-growth policies.

*Click here to watch*

EXCERPTS:

On the current economic situation

“It’s clear that our economy needs more private sector jobs, not more public sector programs. The current mentality being pushed by the majority in Congress right now is to spend, spend, and—if that doesn’t work—spend some more.

“And if there’s any talk about jobs, it’s about defending public sector jobs. This current administration and the current majority in Congress is willing to spend the people’s money to no end to protect government jobs, but have done very little for the creation of private sector jobs.”

What needs to be done

“Tax cuts are certainly a part of it. We need to put more money in the pocketbooks and purses of average Americans. I have far more faith in hundreds of millions of Americans spending a few hundred dollars than a few hundred bureaucrats spending hundreds of millions of dollars.

“But I also think part of it is that it’s time we look at canceling the unspent stimulus money, canceling the unspent TARP money, and give those resources back to the American people. Expanding government clearly has not worked. 18 months—19 months now—into this current administration and the current majority in Congress, things have only gotten worse.”

On the claim that the 2001/2003 tax cuts caused the recession

“The tax cuts occurred in 2001 and 2003. The 2001/2003 tax cuts did not create an economic recession in 2002 and 2004. Our economic meltdown began in the third and fourth quarter of 2008. Even if I do acknowledge here that what the Bush Administration did was wrong and put us in this mess, the current administration and the current majority in Congress most certainly are not getting us out of this mess. It’s time we look at changing direction and changing the priorities we have here in Washington, DC.”

On financial regulation

“I think what had happened back in 2008 was not a lack of regulation but a lack of enforcement of existing regulations. The answer isn’t expanding the size of the government bureaucracy, hiring more government workers, and thickening our regulatory book—it’s enforcing existing laws, which clearly did not occur. The Bush Administration and the previous Republican Congress deserve some of the blame.  But what’s going on now in Washington has taken a bad situation and made it much, much worse.”

On the failure of Washington’s spending agenda

“Look, since the Democrats took over back in 2007 and the Obama Administration came on in January of 2009, things have gotten only worse. Unemployment has gone from 7% to 9.5%. We’ve lost 2.5 million jobs since the stimulus package was created. That’s not progress. That’s taking things in the absolute wrong direction.  I will say, I agree with the President: we need to turn things around. And we can start by changing the priorities of this current Congress.”

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