l****z
发帖数: 29846 | 1 BLS Chief Contradicts Pelosi: Knows of No Study Backing Her 15% Unemployment
Claim
By Eric Scheiner
November 4, 2011
Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Keith Hall, left, and acting deputy
commissioner Jack Galvin, during a break in a Joint Economic Committee
hearing on Nov. 4, 2011. (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) - Keith Hall, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the federal agency responsible for tracking unemployment in the
United States, told the Join Economic Committee of Congress today that he
knew of no study that would back the claim that House Miniority Leader Nancy
Pelosi (D.-Calif.) made on Thursday that the unemployment rate would now be
15 percent were it not for the economic stimulus President Barack Obama
signed in 2009.
Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) asked Hall: “Have you seen any reputable
studies that would lead you to believe or that would show that the
unemployment rate today would be 15 percent but for the stimulus program?”
“No," said Hall, "but I haven’t, I haven’t looked. I’m not sure I would
call--Was the CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimating that?”
“No, that’s actually Mrs. Pelosi’s office this morning,” Mulvaney
informed him.
“Oh, okay. I haven’t looked at that study,” Hall said.
Mulvaney followed up: “Do you think there is a study?”
“I really have no idea,” Hall said.
“You’ve never heard of any study that would say that unemployment would be
15 percent?” Mulvaney asked.
“No," said Hall, "but we’re pretty focused on the real data.”
“I’m focused on the real data as well, I just sort of was wondered if this
had anything to do with real data and it sounds like it doesn’t,”
Mulvaney said before concluding his questioning.
As earlier reported by CNSNews.com, the Congressional Budget Office in
August estimated that in the fourth quarter of 2011, the stimulus would have
the impact of reducing the national unemployment rate between 0.3 points to
1.1 points from what it otherwise would have been.
Since President Barack Obama signed his $825 billion economic stimulus plan
in February 2009, the national unemployment rate has risen from 8.2 percent
to 9.0 percent. |
|
