A few weeks ago, Americans who called a government food stamp information line in one state made a startling discovery: their calls were being routed to customer service representatives in India. Men and women struggling to find a good job were shocked to learn that their tax dollars were employing workers 7,000 miles away.

The Bush Administration and its allies speak of an economic “recovery.” Yet millions of hard-working Americans still cannot find jobs. Since this Administration took office, 2.9 million private sector jobs have been lost. Barring a miraculous turnaround, this Administration will be the first since that of Herbert Hoover to preside over an economy with a net job loss.

And offshoring – the exodus of American jobs overseas – is a major reason why many, if not most, of these jobs aren’t coming back.

Those who suggest offshoring isn’t a problem need only look at the facts. According to one estimate, 3.3 million jobs, and $136 billion per year in wages, will move abroad over the next few years. Four hundred of the largest 1000 companies in America are offshoring, with more planning to do so every day.

Yet the Bush Administration insists offshoring isn’t a problem. On the contrary, the President’s top economic adviser recently called it a “good thing.”

According to the Administration, offshoring is simply part of a free market economy. It’s nothing to worry about, they say. But tell that to the millions of Americans who are out of work, worrying how they will provide for their families.

In fact, what’s happening today is fundamentally different from anything we’ve seen before. Today, advances in technology and fewer trade restrictions have made it far easier to move goods, information, and jobs around the world. Foreign countries are aggressively enticing American businesses with promises of lower wages, lax worker protections, and weak environmental laws. And countries like India and China have figured out that if you want to compete in the global marketplace for the best jobs, you need to invest in the best education and training of your workers.

What is the Bush Administration doing about offshoring, other than trying to convince us that it’s a “good thing?” Essentially, nothing.

For three years, the White House has cut taxes for the most affluent, lowered the incomes of working families, and weakened environmental protections. For three years, the White House has said these policies would create jobs. For three years, the White House has been wrong. Instead of millions of jobs created, millions have been lost. The budget deficit is at an all-time high. And the trade deficit is approaching $500 billion.

The White House’s answer to job losses is to pursue the same policies that helped create those losses in the first place. In so doing, the White House is, in effect, telling Americans to prepare themselves for a lower standard of living. That isn’t acceptable, and it isn’t necessary.

We should and can do something to stop the hemorrhaging of American jobs – without sacrificing our principles or our living standards.

First, our government must lead by example. Taxpayer dollars should not subsidize the sending of jobs overseas. Government contracts should not go to companies that fulfill their contracts by hiring overseas workers. Two weeks ago, I introduced a bill to establish this principle in federal law.

Second, we need to end unfair trade practices which send jobs overseas and provide us with no economic benefit. One example is “offset arrangements,” in which foreign countries force American companies to buy foreign goods and hire foreign workers as a prerequisite for selling American products there. I support free trade, but practices like these aren’t free trade. They’re a form of economic blackmail.

Finally, we need to take steps to keep jobs in America over the long term. We need to reward companies that create jobs here – with tax incentives, loan guarantees, and other measures. We need to expand research so America will be on the cutting edge of technologies that will spawn the new jobs of tomorrow. And we need to invest in world-class education and job training so Americans can continue to be the world’s best and most qualified workers.

The time has come for policies that create good jobs and a secure future for all Americans, not massive deficits and a windfall for a fortunate few. The Administration and its allies in Congress need to face reality. When 9 million Americans are out of work, we’re not in a “recovery.” And when unemployed Americans have to speak to someone in India to get their food stamps, it’s certainly not a “good thing.”