Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) on Thursday slammed the Occupy Wall Street protests, saying they are an attack on businesses and freedom.
“They don’t know why they’re there. They’re just mad,” Broun said on
ABC’s "TopLine.”
“I see people angry in my district too.
But this attack upon business, attack upon industry, attack upon
freedom and I think that’s what this is all about.”
The president mentioned the protests during his midday news
conference Thursday, saying the movement “expresses the frustrations that
the American people feel.”
But, the president added, “we have to have a strong, effective financial
sector for our economy to work.” He also said the administration
hasn’t been more aggressive in prosecuting those on Wall Street
involved in the financial crisis because their actions weren’t
necessarily illegal, but immoral.
Broun said labor unions are trying to exploit the anger felt by the
protesters to help the president in his reelection campaign.
Some unions and Democratic lawmakers have embraced Occupy Wall Street
and have shown public support for the protests over the past few days.
Broun spoke to “TopLine” following Obama’s news conference,
during which the president again called for Congress to act on his
jobs proposal.
When asked if he thought Congress would pass a major jobs bill before
the end of the year, Broun said, “I don’t think so.”
“This is just more of the same of [Obama’s] same old failed policies that
have not created jobs out in the private sector, it’s not stimulated
the economy and it’s just more of the same,” Broun said.
The congressman said he thought Obama’s news conference sounded like a campaign
speech against the Republican Party.
Broun slammed the president’s approach to job creation,
claiming that Obama’s policies have forced jobs overseas and harmed the
economy.
“It’s just inane, it’s insanity to continue doing the same thing over
and over again expecting to get different results, and that’s exactly
what this president continues to propose,” Broun said.
He blamed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for blocking bills
proposed by Republicans in the House.
“I don’t think you’re going to see anything get done as long as Harry
Reid just sits on the bills that the House passed that will create a
stronger economy … they are obstructing what we’re doing here in the
House to try to create jobs and try to create a stronger economy.”
