Romney Campaign Press Release - Biden Boasts Of "Progress" As The Nation Regresses

"Vice President Biden today claimed the Obama Administration's economic progress 'cannot be denied.' He must not be talking to the millions of Americans who are suffering from declining incomes, fewer jobs, and skyrocketing household costs in the Obama economy." – Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Today In New Hampshire, Vice President Biden Claimed The Obama Administration Has "Made Important Progress" On The Economy:

Vice President Biden, In New Hampshire: "We've Made Important Progress. ... Progress That Cannot Be Denied. Progress You Can See." BIDEN: "We've made important progress, but there's much more to do. But progress you can measure, just look at the chart. Progress that cannot be denied. Progress you can see. Progress people know are occurring." (Vice President Biden, Remarks, Keene, NH, 5/22/12)

But Vice President Biden's "Progress" Must Not Include The Nearly 23 Million Americans Still Struggling For Work:

During President Obama's Time In Office, The Nation Has Lost 572,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Increased To 8.1%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/22/12)

• Nearly Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/22/12)

The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above Eight Percent For A Record 39 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/22/12)

"In April, The Percentage Of Adults Working Or Looking For Work Fell To The Lowest Level In More Than 30 Years." (Christopher S. Rugaber, "US Hiring Slows Sharply With Just 115K Jobs Added," The Associated Press, 5/4/12)

More Than Half Of All Recent College Graduates Under The Age Of 25 Were "Jobless Or Underemployed, The Highest Share In At Least 11 Years." "About 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, the highest share in at least 11 years. In 2000, the share was at a low of 41 percent, before the dot-com bust erased job gains for college graduates in the telecommunications and IT fields." (Hope Yen, "1 In 2 New Graduates Are Jobless Or Underemployed," The Associated Press, 4/22/12)

And Vice President Biden Must Have Forgotten About The Obama Economy's Falling Incomes And Rising Costs For Families:

Since President Obama Took Office, Median Household Income Has Declined By $4,300. "Yet real median household income in March was down $4,300 since Obama took office in January 2009 and down $2,900 since the June 2009 start of the economic recovery, according to an analysis of census data by Sentier Research, an economic- consulting firm in Annapolis, Maryland." (Mike Dorning, "Obama Fails To Stem Middle-Class Slide He Blamed On Bush," Bloomberg, 4/30/12)

Under President Obama, Gas Prices Have Doubled From The Nationwide Average Of $1.85 Per Gallon When He Was Sworn Into Office To $3.71 Per Gallon Today. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov, Accessed 5/22/12)

• Typical American Families Spent $4,155 On Gas In 2011, The Highest Share In Thirty Years. "It's been 30 years since gasoline took such a big bite out of the family budget. When the gifts from Grandma are unloaded and holiday travel is over, the typical American household will have spent $4,155 filling up this year, a record. That is 8.4 percent of what the median family takes in, the highest share since 1981." (Jonathan Fahey, "Gas Prices 2011: Paying At The Pump Ate Most Out Of Family Budget In 30 Years," The Associated Press, 12/19/11)

Since President Obama Took Office, Nearly 3 Million Homes Have Been Lost To Foreclosures. "Meanwhile, 2.5 million homes have been lost to foreclosure since 2009, an additional 4 million are in the foreclosure process or seriously delinquent, and home prices are still falling in much of the U.S., shrinking household wealth for millions of Americans." (Julie Schmit, "What Went Wrong With Foreclosure Aid Programs?," USA Today, 12/12/11)

• Approximately 3 Million More Homes Are Either "Seriously Delinquent On Mortgages Or In Foreclosure." "There are currently more than 3 million homeowners either seriously delinquent on mortgages or in foreclosure, and that looming inventory has been one of the biggest drags on home sales prices." (Chris Isidore, "Mortgage Deal Means More Foreclosures," CNN Money, 2/10/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, The Average Cost Of College Has Increased By 25% At Four-Year Public Schools Across The Country. ("Trends In College Pricing," College Board, 2011)

Obamacare Has Made Health Care "Less Affordable" And Has Caused "Insurance Premiums To Rise." "At the moment, the new law is making health care slightly less affordable. Independent health care experts say the law has caused some insurance premiums to rise. As we wrote in October, the new law has caused about a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored family plans because of requirements for increased benefits. Last year's premium increases cast even more doubt on another promise the president has made - that the health care law would 'lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.'" (D'Angelo Gore, "Promises, Promises," FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)