Pelosi: John Boehner's Economic Plan Will Return America to Same Failed Bush Era Policies

Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after Republican Leader John Boehner outlined his economic plan at the City Club of Cleveland, where he endorsed proposals to privatize and cut Social Security; cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans; protect corporations that ship American jobs overseas; and return to the same failed polices of the Bush Administration:

"Today, Minority Leader John Boehner did the public a favor by admitting the Republican plan to return to the failed Bush economic policies that produced a deep recession, record deficits, a loss of 8 million jobs and an unprecedented financial crisis.  Democrats will not let that stand.  America must continue to move forward in a New Direction, not back to the ‘exact same agenda' of the Bush years.

"Mr. Boehner reiterated the Republican leadership's opposition to additional regulation of our food supplies - at the very time American consumers are outraged at risks to food safety in eggs and meat.  They also opposed protecting consumers against the unfair practices of oil companies, insurance companies and Wall Street financial institutions.

"Congressional Republicans can't hide their failed policies behind scary rhetoric.  Regardless of how they try to spin it, they promise the same failed Bush policies: tax cuts for the wealthiest few at the expense of middle class jobs and small businesses; an exploding deficit passed on to our children and grandchildren; and protections for corporations that ship American jobs overseas.

"Republicans will continue to protect the interests of the wealthy few over the homes and life savings of the vast majority of the American people.  They placed the priorities of Big Banks, Big Oil, and insurance companies ahead of Americans' paychecks.  Time and again, Republicans have voted against tax relief for small businesses and middle class families; against preserving the jobs of teachers, firefighters, and police officers; and against unemployment benefits for Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.  Once again, they pledge to promote the Bush plan to privatize and cut Social Security and Medicare, threatening the bedrock promise we have made to our seniors.

"Democrats will not allow the scare tactics and empty rhetoric of Leader Boehner and his Republican colleagues to go unanswered.  Republican policies created massive unemployment and recession, and they have refused to help dig us out of the hole their policies put us in.  That isn't leadership, and now they're asking the American people to trust them again.  We must keep moving America forward, not back to failed Bush economic policies, which is all Mr. Boehner proposed this morning."