Date: 2012-01-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me join with my colleagues to wish some of our distinguished Americans a happy birthday in this month. but more importantly. let me acknowledge and salute both Muhammad Ali and First Lady Michelle Obama in celebrating their birthdays this month. Ive listened to my colleagues speak about the question of job creation. and theyre absolutely right. As Democrats. weve come back to do nothing but to ensure the passage of the payroll tax decrease for working Americans and. as well. to be able to provide for jobs for this country and our communities. My constituents have spoken loudly and clearly. so I have several points. Mr. Speaker. that I would like to make today. Some of them wind back to the culture and how we work together. First of all. Im hoping that as a member of the Judiciary Committee here in the House well have an opportunity to look seriously at the SOPA legislation and find a compromise. Ive worked on the issues of piracy from the time lateChairman Henry Hyde served on that committee. and I am concerned about it. But in this new world of startups and technology that is beyond many times our comprehension. it is important to ensure that we do not falsely or inappropriately shut down sites or stop businesses from thriving. There must be a compromise. I am prepared to be at the table of discussion to save jobs. The U.S. is losing hightech jobs to Asia. In fact. the United States lost more than a quarter of its hightech manufacturing jobs during the past decade as U.S.-based multinational companies placed a growing percentage of their R&D overseas. I am here to fight for that R&D to come back. I. frankly. believe those are the jobs of the 21st century and that it is time for us to fight for those jobs to come back. Mr. Speaker. we can do many things together. That happens to be one. and I hope to encourage the hightech industry and others to join me as we proceed with roundtable discussions to see how we can impact all of our communities. those communities that have unemployment at the highest levels. We know that there are jobs in the hightech industry. not only in the famous Silicon Valley in California. but in places around the Nation. Houston. Texas. is looking with complete and great excitement at the potential of building our biotech and. of course. technology sectors more and more and more. Lets save those jobs. I want to move to something that is quite contrary to what Ive just mentioned. but the reason I started with something on which we could work together is because Im concerned. In this element of political campaigns. this atmosphere. I have no challenge with the First Amendment and with those who are trying to encourage individuals to vote and to vote for them. But I rise today in the backdrop of the commemoration of Dr. Kings birthday. which really speaks to all Americans hearts. No matter what your background. Dr. King spoke of peace. nonviolence. and harmony in this country. I love that. I am a product of that. I was educated by way of opportunities that had not been given to my parents. Yet we find candidates like Newt Gingrich who simply want to throw fuel on the fire of racial divide to develop sort of an explosiveness in this country that is unnecessary. To suggest that President Obama is the "food stamp President" has underlying suggestions. To be able to say that the idea of substituting a New York janitor who makes $37.000 and put a bunch of kids to workthe New York school district is predominantly minority. Latino and African Americanis by its very words divisive and destructive. And to insinuate that poor communities and minority children have never seen people get up. go to work and work hardcome to my district and see people getting up in the early morning hours. single parents working hard to create opportunities for their children. Mr. Gingrich. I know you. You are better than that. and if not. America is better than that. I am incensed by your words.