U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) released the following statement today regarding the latest national unemployment numbers rising to 9.8%:

“The latest labor statistics released today is a sobering reminder of the hardship our citizens are facing. The unemployment rate now stands at 9.8% nationally, and it is even worse here in Kentucky. Since the passage of the President’s so-called “stimulus” bill in February, nearly 3 million jobs have been lost. Clearly, it’s not working. Rather than focus on creating jobs, bringing new economic development to our communities and relieving the tax burden on our hard working families, President Obama is instead focusing on the opposite -- pushing an agenda in Washington that includes taxing electricity, shutting down the coal industry, and taking over your healthcare. Enough is enough. It is high time to stop the trillion dollar spending sprees and bailouts in Washington and focus on getting our economy moving again.”