Grassley, Others Rip Bush Official’s Pro-Outsourcing Remark

The Bush administration's chief economist came under fire this week for testifying that the movement of American jobs overseas will benefit the economy. Lawmakers from states affected by the outsourcing trend were quick to criticize President Bush for the "insensitive" remarks of economic advisor Gregory Mankiw, which came at a time when many Americans are worried about losing their jobs to cheaper foreign laborers. In 2002, government statistics show that 17,000 Americans faced unemployment when US companies moved operations overseas. Responding to the criticism, the Bush administration said it intends to increase employment through worker training programs and investments in community colleges. But President Bush has not repudiated Mankiw's assertion that "when a good or service is produced at lower cost in another country, it makes sense to import it rather than to produce it domestically." – YaleGlobal