Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I am very glad to join multiple friends from a number of our great States in America. But more importantly. I am glad to be part of the team. working with the Congresswoman. our leadership. of course. and the President that focuses on creating jobs for Americans. Thats an exciting message for all of us. And I am very delighted to sort of dash the misstatements that have been going on about what we have accomplished here. and if I might just be redundant and cite the fact that the private sector has created 83.000 jobs in June. But I would like to add something else. Congresswoman. I think you have seen this number as well. that this has been one of the best quarters for corporations in terms of profits. It is well known. and of course many of us encourage individuals to save money and to invest. But I think its particularly important for the American public to know that our corporations have money. Weve created the right economic atmosphere for them to grow. but theyve decided to not create all of the jobs they could. And I would just like this evening to congratulate them for the profits that theyve made. but I want them to be inspired to create jobs for the American people because the government has worked very hard to create a banking system for them to feel comfortable with as we pass the Wall Street reform so that they can create jobs. hire people. There were 9.000 manufacturing jobs created in June. and I think that is extremely important. but 136.000 jobs since December. We have good news for the American public. We have heard you. and we believe in buying America and making it in America. Therefore. were going to be looking. over the next couple of months. to craft an agenda where you will see jobs being created by the message of this Democratic leadership. We can tell you that we mean business because we can show you the facts. For the 11th consecutive month. the manufacturing sector has expanded. They have heard our call. They have heard our creed. The Purchasing Managers Index registered at 56.2 in June. Of the 18 industries surveyed. 13 reported growth. Look at. if you will. the gigantic change that we have seen in the automobile manufacturing sector where our companies are coming back. Many people complain about the approach we utilize. but we can look at the bottom line. Ford never took the money. GM has paid the money back. But what we want them to do is to manufacture smartly. hire people and create jobs. We have createdthis Democratic leadership. this President has created the atmosphere for these companies to grow. and we want them to grow more. Let me just add these one or two points. Consumers who have been feeling the pinchwe know theres unemployment. and right now. today. were fighting to extend unemployment for those hardworking Americans who have seen their jobs go but need to support their families. And let me make it very clear. Unemployment insurance is not a handout. It is a gift coming back. or it is an acknowledgment of your hard work. and we want to keep you over a bridge. We want to give you a bridge until you get another job. But disposable personal income grew by 0.5 percent in May. It grew by .6 percent in April. and it grew by .4 percent in May. So you can see that its steadily going up. Its steadily going up. and this is making a difference. As I cite these last points. Congresswoman. to emphasize how we. on this side of the aisle. the Democrats. have a positive attitude about knowing that Americas going to make it as we make products and as manufacturing grows. Im disappointed that some of my friends who are on the other side of the aisle are thinking differently. One of the things that they dont like to say is that when President Obama first came into office he inherited an economy that was losing an average of 750.000 jobs in 1 month. Now. Im not the kind of personality that wants to look back and blame the last administration. But we know for a fact that there were no jobs created in the last 8 years. And so let me conclude on remarks that have been made by a good friend. The minority whip asked the question. stimulus dollars have not produced jobs. This is what the minority whip said while hosting a job fair in Virginia. And I would only like to say that to help the American people. it would be grand for us to work and march in step. in a bipartisan step. and that is the only thing were concerned about. no matter what region we come from. is creating jobs. Many of you know that we are being hit in the Gulf in many different ways by the BP oil spill. My good friend is being hit for tourism. I just had one of her mayors before my committee. and they said theyre not being listened to about tourism. Im being hit because of fishermen and shrimpers and oysters. but also Im being hit by the hardworking people who work in the energy industry who are innocent who may be losing jobs who cannot work offshore. But our good friend. Mr. CANTOR. rather than working together to produce jobs. has said this: He hasnt seen any evidence of jobs being created. Well. according to the Council of Economic Advisers. the Recovery Act created or saved more than 48.000 jobs in Virginia in 2009. In May. the Congressional Budget Office reported that in the first quarter of 2010 the Recovery Act was responsible for an increase in the number of people employed by 1.2 million. and 2.8 million. This is stunning. And the job fair that Mr. CANTOR had. and I congratulate him for having a job fair. I congratulate the companies for coming. and Im very glad that the companies that were in the room had gotten $52 million in Recovery Act funds to create jobs. Can you imagine? This is not a partisan commitment to America. Wherever you are and you need a job. our stimulus dollars have been there. And so I hope that we can end our criticism of the Recovery Act. because we know we can point out infrastructure projects and jobs created in all of our home districts. and we can point to the Democratic leadership where their message is jobs. jobs. jobs. We have nothing to be ashamed of. but we must stay steady. We must stay consistent. We must make sure that the unemployment insurance goes out to our constituents. Were going to fight to the end to make sure that that goes where it needs to go. and that is to the people who need it. And finally. Im excited about the manufacturing spurt. surge that were going to continue when we take the message of buy America and make it in America. we are creating jobs. And this Democratic leadership believes that America is standing tall. and we will be a country that recovers in a very. very special way. And Im delighted to be able to join with my friends who understand that there is an American economic recovery. We know it. we see it. and were working on it. I yield back.