Bernie, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, on Thursday 02 August voted against the confirmation of former Rep. Jim Nussle to be the White House budget director and placed a hold on the nomination. Thom played a portion of the hearing.

Clip of Bernie Sanders questioning Jim Nussle, 03 August 2007

Bernie, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, on Thursday 02 August voted against the confirmation of former Rep. Jim Nussle to be the White House budget director and placed a hold on the nomination. Thom played a portion of the hearing:

[Bernie Sanders] ... Senator Gregg and others that the economy is really robust is the word they use here in Washington. Let me ask you this. Since Bush has been president:

• over 5 million people have slipped into poverty;
• nearly 7 million Americans have lost their health insurance;
• median household income has gone down by nearly $1,300;
• three million manufacturing jobs have been lost;
• three million American workers have lost their pensions;
• home foreclosures are now the highest on record;
• the personal savings rate is below zero - which hasn't happened since the great depression;
• the real earnings of college graduates have gone down by about 5% in the last few years;
• entry level wages for male and female high school graduates have fallen by over 3%;
• wages and salaries are now at the lowest share of GDP since 1929;

Now, I will concede that president Bush has done a wonderful job for the wealthiest people in this country and for the CEOs of large corporations. If you receive this position, very important position, as head of OMB, are you prepared to go in to the office and say, "Mr. President, you've got to represent more than the wealthiest 1%, that the middle class is shrinking and poverty is increasing and Mr. President, we need policies to address the concerns of ordinary Americans"?

[Jim Nussle] Senator, as I said to the chairman, I'm not satisfied, even though there are statistics to show that there's growth...

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