Carson: GOP Efforts to Block Unemployment Benefits Hurting Economy, American People

June 25, 2010

"I am disappointed to see that relief efforts critical to our economic recovery continue to languish in the Senate. By blocking the extension of unemployment benefits, Republicans are proving they're more interested in political posturing than effective governance.

"Not only are these unemployment benefits vital to help struggling households, where many are out of work by no fault of their own, they're a sound economic policy during a downturn. Without this income, struggling families are forced to stop spending on some of their most basic needs, and this pullback on consumer spending could hurt our economy's positive momentum.

"The American people want and deserve action right now. While we've seen positive signs pointing to an economic turnaround, we remain at a critical point in this recovery. We can either take steps to keep our economy moving forward, or we can get caught up in Washington political games and fall victim to the failed polices of the past-policies that drove our economy into the ditch in the first place. My hope is Senate GOP leaders will choose the former."

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