WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- Elements of U.S. unemployment have surpassed those of the last century's Great Depression, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said in his party's address Saturday.
In criticizing the Democratic administration's economic stimulus package of 2009, the freshman congressman from President Barack Obama's home state said jobs couldn't be created while government was spending beyond its means.
"It is high time that we cut up the government's credit cards and draw a hard line to stop the government from overspending, which is hampering our economy's ability to grow and thrive," he said. "We must get the government to stop spending more money than we take in and focus our efforts toward growing the private sector, where jobs are created."
Kinzinger said Obama's vow to rein in unemployment at 8 percent hasn't happened and 90 percent of new jobs would be in the private sector.
"If anything, things have gotten worse -- unemployment is over 9 percent," he said. "And the share of Americans out of work for more than six months has surpassed Great Depression levels."
The congressman went on to reiterate the Republican demands for cost-cutting, tax code simplification, fewer business regulations and expanded domestic oil production in the weekly radio and Internet address.
