One Big Thing Congress Can Do to Improve the Economy Before Election Day

 

 

by Robert Creamer

Members of Congress see it in their town meetings, their mail, their polls and focus groups: the voters are angry. Of course at any given time, some set of voters are always unhappy. But right now it's different. Right now most people are unhappy.

The level of anger and unhappiness does not arise from disagreement with some government policy. It is not because they don't like the new health care law, or "big government". Voters are angry and unhappy because from their perspective the economy still stinks. Vast numbers of those who lost their jobs when the recklessness of the Wall Street banks sent the economy over the cliff, are still out of work. Those who are working have experienced stagnant incomes. Everyday Americans are worried about the economic futures of their families.

And it's no wonder. A recent study showed that more than half of Americans have been directly affected by the recession.

When Congress returns from its Fourth of July recess, there are not many things it can actually do to improve the economic picture in the four short months before Election Day. But there is, in fact, one thing Congress can do that will have a big impact right away: pass a jobs bill that provides fiscal relief to state and local government and extends unemployment benefits.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/one-big-thing-congress-ca_b_642449.html