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By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) offered a biting rebuttal to complaints levied by congressional Republicans that the Democrats have botched the recovery of the U.S. economy.

"Republicans are consistent with being consistently wrong," Hoyer quipped during a pen and pad session with reporters Tuesday.

The Majority Leader pointed to the economic program pursued by the Democratically controlled Congress in 1993, noting that although Republicans issued warnings of job loss and and out of control deficits, the economy faired quite well.

"Exactly the 180 degree opposite happened. Deficits were eliminated [and] we created 20.8 million jobs," Hoyer said.

Hoyer contrasted the 1993 economic program with the one proposed by the GOP controlled Congress in 2001.

"[Congressional Republicans] indicated that if we adopted their economic program...our economy would explode: creation of jobs, elimination of the deficit, and that our economy would be in very good shape,” Hoyer said. “What happened? Exactly the opposite."

"Our policy worked, [the Republicans'] policy failed," Hoyer added. "The American public decided they needed a change and they asked us to get the economy moving again."

The Majority Leader also touched upon Rep. Charles Rangel's (D-N.Y.) proposal to apply a surtax to individuals making over $280,000 in order to help cover the cost of health care reform. If adopted, Hoyer noted that he does not expect the proposal to harm small businesses.

"I don't know many small businessmen or women who are making $280,000, so I'm not sure that very many small businesses are going to be affected by this."