OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

President Spent Almost As Much Time Discussing Steriods As He Did On the Jobs Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on President Bush’s visit to Ohio, a state that has been severely impacted by the loss of millions of jobs under President Bush’s watch:

“This state has been hit hard by the loss of tens of thousands of jobs since President Bush took office, and I am sure that Ohioans would like to ask: ‘Mr. President, what is your plan for job creation?’  The fact of the matter is the president has none, as he demonstrated in his State of the Union last night.  The president spent almost as much time discussing steroid use among professional athletes as he did about the jobs crisis.

“Manufacturing job losses are mounting every month and working families in Ohio are struggling to pay for groceries and their heating bills.   The average wage of industries losing jobs in this state is $41,287, yet the average wage of industries creating jobs is just $29,418 – a 29% drop.  This is a fact that should spur President Bush to action.

“Instead, President Bush spoke only vaguely of increases in job-training programs.  Yet over the last three years, he proposed almost $1 billion in cuts to job training, including a $300 million cut to vocational education and community colleges and the total elimination of the $225 million Youth Opportunities Grants program. As is often the case with this Administration, the facts simply don’t support the President’s rhetoric.

“America has lost 2.3 million jobs in three years.  That is the worst record of any president since Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression.”

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