President Obama Masterfully Demolishes GOP Critics, Roskam Included

On 01.29.10, In Barack Obama, Economy, Healthcare, Peter Roskam, Unemployment, By RSR

Just finished watching the video of President Obama’s Q&A session at the GOP House Issues conference today. The President was brilliant. He called the GOP to account for for their campaign of misinformation about healthcare reform and the economic stimulus, but did it with respect and a sincere invitation to Republicans to work with him in the nation’s best interest. The President was articulate and knew his facts, including detailed knowledge of Republican counter proposals. He was warm and human in demeanor and gentle but firm in his criticisms, using self-deprecating humor effectively to put the room at ease. I have never seen a more brilliant performance by a President. Never.

You can hear Congressman Roskam pose his question at about 67:15.

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Don’t Fall for Peter Roskam’s Fearmongering on the Debt, Unemployment

On 01.26.10, In Deficit, Economic Justice, Peter Roskam, Unemployment, By RSR

Peter Roskam’s been doing his best to sow fear and doubt about President Obama’s handling of the economy. He is doing this in a cynical attempt to sell you more of the redistributive (poor to rich), deregulatory, trickle-down economic policy that brought the world to the brink of depression under President Bush. Don’t fall for it.

Here Rachel Maddow does a nice segment with economist James Galbraith of the University of Texas that cuts away the bullshit being dispensed by the GOP:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Peter Roskam Bellyaches about High Unemployment but Won’t Lift A Finger to Help Unemployed

On 12.21.09, In Economic Justice, Peter Roskam, Unemployment, By RSR

Peter Roskam has lately been complaining loudly to anyone who will listen about the high unemployment rate in Illinois. Roskam is trying to discredit the President and Democrats in Congress because unemployment exceeded the 8% peak projected earlier in President Obama’s term. Roskam pays lip service to the need for job growth:

“November’s continued job losses only further confirms that our economy is in serious peril, and we need to set aside partisanship and employ pro-growth policies that will create jobs.”

But when it comes time to actually vote on a jobs creation measure, partisanship wins out and Roskam votes against it.

That was what happened this past Wednesday, when the House voted on the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010, as an amendment to H.R. 2847: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. Peter Roskam voted no, along with all of his obstructionist Republican colleagues.

According to Speaker Pelosi, the bill would redirect $75 billion in TARP funds to pay for highways, transit and other infrastructure; to hire or retain teachers, police and firefighters; and to subsidize loans to small businesses.

The bill also extends unemployment benefits, COBRA subsidies, and Medicaid payments for people hard hit by the recession.

While Roskam loves to talk about unemployment in order to smear the President, and in order to work against legislation that his corporate sponsors oppose such as health care reform, financial regulation, and climate change legislation, Roskam demonstrates no empathy for those who have suffered job losses due to the Bush recession. You will recall that Roskam voted against unemployment benefits extension once before, back in September.

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As Unemployment Rises, Peter Roskam Votes to Eliminate Food Programs

On 10.19.09, In Economic Justice, Peter Roskam, Poverty, Unemployment, By RSR

Even as the overall health of the economy shows signs of improvement, the unemployment rate in Illinois rose to 10.5 in September, the highest rate since 1983, and Illinois lost over 14,000 non-farm jobs. That’s in addition to over 306,000 jobs lost since August 2008 due to the Bush recession.

With so many families in trouble, we might expect our Congressman to be taking action to provide aid to those hit by job losses. Here in the 6th District, our Republican Congressman, Peter Roskam has been gleefully citing these statistics to make political trouble for President Obama. But utterly devoid of empathy for those who are suffering, Roskam hasn’t lifted a finger to help those families. In fact, he’s been doing his best to make things worse.

We have already written about Peter Roskam’s vote in September against the extension of unemployment benefits for those whose benefits are about to end.

This month, Peter Roskam voted to eliminate a number of key federal food assistance programs.

The vote came on October 7 on the conference report for HR 2997, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. Peter Roskam voted no.

In voting against the conference report, Roskam voted to eliminate the following programs which are critical to meeting the nutritional needs of those experiencing economic hardship:

Child nutrition programs. The child nutrition programs included in S. 1406 provide funding for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food programs. These programs serve nutritious lunches and breakfasts to children attending school or residing in other institutions. The purpose is to improve the health and well-being of the nation’s children. H.R. 2997 would provide $16.85 billion in mandatory budget authority for child nutrition programs, which is $58 million more than the President’s budget request and $1.9 billion more than the enacted Fiscal Year 2009 level.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The WIC program provides assistance to pregnant, breast-feeding and post-partum women and infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk because of inadequate nutrition and inadequate income. H.R. 2997 would provide $7.25 billion in discretionary budget authority for this program, which is $525 million less than President’s budget request and $392 million more than the enacted Fiscal Year 2009 level, excluding emergency appropriations. Additionally, it is important to note that $487 million in contingency funds will be available in Fiscal Year 2010 making a total of $7.7 billion available for the WIC program.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides assistance to needy persons and families to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and increase their food purchasing power. H.R. 2997 would provide $58.2 billion in mandatory budget authority for this program which is $3.07 billion below the President’s budget request and is $4.3 billion more than the enacted Fiscal Year 2009 level.

Commodity Assistance Program. The Commodity Assistance Program provides supplemental food to infants and children as well as prepared meals to low-income households. H.R. 2997 would provide $248 million for this program, which is $14.6 million more than the President’s budget request and is $17.2 million more than the enacted Fiscal Year 2009 level.

I really find it hard to fathom how a man with any conscience at all could choose to play political games at a time like this and ignore the suffering of his brothers and sisters. Fortunately, the measure passed without Roskam’s vote and is expected tobe signed into law shortly by President Obama.

I’d encourage you to contact Roskam to register your displeasure, but quite frankly that would be useless. This man is unconcerned with anything but political advancement and aiding his corporate campaign donors. He is blind to the suffering and hardship that exists amongst his constituents.

Ellen in the 10th has a good post with some stats fleshing out the degree of economic hardship here in Illinois.

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Peter Roskam Displays Contempt for Unemployed – Votes Against Benefits Extension

On 09.24.09, In Economic Justice, Peter Roskam, Unemployment, By RSR

On Tuesday, September 22nd, the House voted on H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009. The bill providers for an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits in states where unemployment rates exceed 8.5%. Illinois is one of those states, with an unemployment rate of about 10%.

Peter Roskam voted against the benefit extension.  He was alone among the Illinois delegation in doing so. The measure passed by a margin 331-83, garnering a substantial number of Republican votes. Even Shimkus voted for the extension.

I heard on the news the other day that there are about 6 job-seekers for every available position on average.  In an economic environment like that, the vote to extend benefits was a no-brainer.  Peter Roskam’s “No” vote demonstrates once again his almost sociopathic lack of empathy for the plight of his constituents suffering in the aftermath of the economic disaster wrought by the Roskam/Bush brand of anything goes capitalism.

So my question for my fellow 6th District residents:  How long are you going to keep voting for this arrogant prick? Haven’t you had enough?

Nice to see Bridget Dooley weighing in against Roskam again. And she has great music.

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Peter Roskam Blocks Aid to Unemployed Illinois Workers

On 06.12.08, In Economic Justice, Middle Class, Peter Roskam, Unemployment, By RSR

If you are a corporate executive hoping to protect your $37 million annual compensation, Peter Roskam’s got your back. If you are an Illinois worker, laid off by that executive when he off-shored your job to India or Costa Rica, and your unemployment benefits are about to run out, Peter Roskam says “tough luck”.

Peter Roskam demonstrated again yesterday his utter lack of compassion and concern for working people in his district by voting against H.R. 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008. Democrats in Congress had proposed extending unemployment benefits, on an emergency basis, by an additional 3 months for unemployed workers in all states and by 6 months for workers in states with unemployment rates higher than 6%. The Democrats were responding to the report by the Labor Department that the jobless rate had increased by 0.5% to 5.5% in May, the largest increase in 23 years. May was the fifth consecutive month of job loss.

The measure failed to pass in the house, lacking only 3 votes, one of them Roskam’s. House Democrats will continue to pursue an extension of benefits.

Peter Roskam has demonstrated time and time again by his votes his preoccupation with serving only the interests of large corporations and economic elites. Then, after after he votes to obstruct Democratic efforts to help the middle class and the underprivileged in his district, he comes home and whines and complains about the extreme partisanship in Congress that is preventing him from helping his constituents. In reality though it is Roskam who is playing partisan politics and catering to special interests.

6th District residents who have lost their jobs or fear losing them should contact Peter Roskam and demand that he put partisan politics aside and stop obstructing Democratic efforts to aid unemployed workers. Roskam can be reached at his Washington office at (202) 225-4561 or in Bloomingdale at (630) 893-9670.

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