Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), chairman of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, in response to President Obama’s speech on the economy today said, “It’s the movie Groundhog Day once again. The President has saddled the American people with the weakest recovery since World War II and now, four years after the recession ended, he is again declaring that jobs are his number one priority. While Wall Street is booming, middle class families are struggling and over 20 million Americans can’t find full-time work. That’s nothing to be proud of, Mr. President, and another round of speeches won’t fix it.”

Brady noted that economic growth in the current recovery is less than half the economic growth in other post-1960 recoveries. Private sector job creation is barely more than half the average and real per capita disposable income growth is less than one-fourth the average.

“There are 15 ½ million more Americans on food stamps than when President Obama took office compared with only 2 million more Americans employed. Every time someone got a job, 7 more went on food stamps.”

“The President’s policies treat America’s job creators and entrepreneurs as the enemy. This administration has attempted to over-tax, over-regulate, and punish the private sector at every turn. Whether it’s the refusal to approve the XL pipeline with its truly shovel-ready jobs or the burdensome, unaffordable, and unworkable health care law, this President has proven that he has zero understanding of how our economy works.”

Brady concluded, “Mr. President, just get the federal government out of the way. Instead of putting handcuffs on job creators, try shaking their hand for a change.”