Bush Remark on Jobless Bill Irks Democrats
Congressional Democrats, rushing to put the finishing touches on a new unemployment benefits bill, yesterday angrily reacted to President BushÛªs comment that he is tired of Congress "sending me a bunch of garbage I will not sign.Û House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) said he was ÛÏdistressedÛ that Bush used such, language at a $l,000-a-plate GOP fund-raiser ÛÏwhen we've got [unemployed] people who are desperately hurting.Û House Majority! Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) said the remark shows that Bush ÛÏis out of touch with the Way average working families live."</br></br>Congressional Democrats, rushing to put the finishing touches on a new unemployment benefits bill, yesterday angrily reacted to President BushÛªs comment that he is tired of Congress "sending me a bunch of garbage I will not sign.Û House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) said he was ÛÏdistressedÛ that Bush used such, language at a $l,000-a-plate GOP fund-raiser ÛÏwhen we've got [unemployed] people who are desperately hurting.Û House Majority! Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) said the remark shows that Bush ÛÏis out of touch with the Way average working families live." "This is the presidentÛªs domestic agenda: mingling with the millionaires, raising campaign funds, calling the recession no big deal and referring to unemployment benefits as garbage,Û Gephardt said.</br></br>Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.), chief sponsor of the unemployment bill in the Senate, said, "Garbage is not the kind of word youÛªd expect from a kinder and gentler president.Û</br></br>He has threatened to veto bills passed by the House and the Senate that would provide up to 20 additional weeks of benefits to 2.3 million unemployed workers by adding about $6 billion to the deficit.</br></br>expected to work out differences in the two bills this week, setting the stage for another veto confrontation.