White House Claims Benefits to Exporting Jobs Overseas

[petros]

For a moment they let the cat out of the bag:

 

White House Claims Benefits To Exporting Jobs

February 13, 2004

 

Berry Calls for Resignation of Administration Official who Claimed Benefits to Exporting American Jobs

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Marion Berry (D-AR, 1st) today signed onto a letter calling for the resignation of the President's chief economic advisor, Dr. Gregory Mankiw, and to request an immediate apology for statements made earlier this week.

 

On Monday, Mankiw, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, was quoted as praising the benefits of sending U.S. jobs overseas. Mankiw made his comments in introducing the White House's annual Economic Report of the President, which also said "When a good or service is produced more cheaply abroad, it makes more sense to import it than make or provide it domestically." He went onto say, "Outsourcing is just a new way of doing international trade...and that is a good thing."

 

More than 30,000 Arkansas manufacturers are out of work since Mr. Mankiws boss took office in January 2001, Berry said. I have tremendous faith in the people of Arkansas and their abilities and resiliency. But comments that portray our staggering job loss as a positive economic force is demeaning to those who have worked hard only to see their job shipped overseas. The Bush administration owes an explanation to the workers whose jobs have been exported in the name of improving the economic situation of this country.

 

Even the leader of the House Republicans, Speaker Dennis Hastert, said Wednesday that he disagreed with Mankiw that shipping American jobs abroad was good for the economy.

 

The text of the letter follows:

 

February 13, 2004

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

As you know, Democrats continue to be concerned about your failure to address the hemorrhage of manufacturing jobs nationwide. Despite the fact that 2.8 million manufacturing jobs have been lost since the beginning of your Administration, you have inexplicably undermined strong bipartisan legislation that would help American manufacturers create good paying jobs here at home in these difficult economic times.

 

Although it has been clear for some time that revitalizing our manufacturing sector is not an Administration priority, we were extremely alarmed to learn that you are explicitly including the outsourcing of white collar work in your national economic policy.

 

In fact, the Chairman of your Council of Economic Advisers stated this week that Outsourcing is just a new way of doing international tradeand that is a good thing. Unfortunately, we think the thousands of workers who have lost their jobs to China, India, the Philippines and other countries will not agree with this outrageous statement.

 

After that statement, there is no way that American workers can be confident in the Bush Administrations ability to get the economy back on track with Dr. Mankiw at the helm. He owes an apology to the millions of American workers waiting on an unemployment line or struggling to pay the bills at the end of the month, and he should resign immediately.

 

Democrats have a bipartisan proposal that will revitalize our manufacturing base by lowering tax rates on all domestic producers, including small businesses and farms, and support true tax reform that would prevent companies from profiting from U.S. layoffs. We urge you once again to support this proposal, and provide our manufacturers with the help they need to create good paying jobs here at home.

 

With manufacturing jobs lost during every single month of your presidency, an economic policy that supports the shift of jobs overseas, a $521 billion deficit, and a tax cut that provides middle class families with less than $2 a day, Americans are clearly ready for new economic leadership. We hope that you will put partisan politics aside and work with us to create the economic prosperity that every American deserves.

[kylen]

he he Don't start the revolution without me...