Date: 2011-11-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I am delighted to join my friend and colleague from the great State of Minnesotathe distinguished cochair of the Progressive Caucus. of which I have the privilege of serving as a vice chair. I truly want to say to our colleagues that the Progressive Caucus has been on the mark. and in fact it stays on a pattern. frankly. that should draw goodthinking. wellintentioned Americans from both sides of the aisle. Let me recount for my cochair the number of job fairs and summits that weve had. We have not yet finished. and well probably go into 2012. I want to focus on just a couple of points that I believe have been the Progressive message. It is the good Samaritan message. the secular good Samaritan message: that were all in this together. It is to recognize that the Nation is not so brokeor it is not brokethat it cannot help the most vulnerable. In a supercommittee hearing. it was delineated by the head of the OMB that. actually. Mr. ELLISON. our debtdeficit is 81/2 percent of the gross domestic product. That means that 92 percent is rolling along. not the way we would like it. but it is rolling along. Its as if we took a familys budget. and they said. "You know what? We have less than 10 percent debtweve got 100 percent. but 10 percent debt. Lets work to diminish that debt. but let me not stop feeding the three children. and let me not stop paying the mortgage." if that were the ratio of our debt. I think it is important for the Progressive message in that we are saying there are ways of pulling us up by our bootstraps: One. we can close our eyes. and in a moment. the Bush tax cuts can expire. and we will generate billions of dollars that will help promote jobs. We can pass the Jobs Act. which really focuses on infrastructure. providing for our veterans. small businesses. and in fact. focuses on creating the millions of jobs that we can generate out of that particular legislation. We can eliminate the discrimination of the chronically unemployed. and we can give a $4.000 tax credit to employers for hiring. as I indicated. the longterm unemployed. Are we remembering that on December 31. 2011. we will be bringing homeor by that time. our President has said that soldiers from Iraq will come home? That is an immediate infusion of dollars back into our bank account. although. we must be able to protect our soldiers who are coming home and provide for them. We have on the horizon. Mr. Speakerand I know that all who are listening are excited about the fact that an omnibus jobs bill is about to come forward from the Progressive Caucus. But the only reason I just say that without giving the details of it is we have found a way to pay for creating jobs and answering the clarion call of the American people. So I believe the Progressive message is the secular Good Samaritan. that we cannot leave the vulnerable along the streets and highways of despair. We must be able to ensure that we are looking out for those who cannot look out for themselves. I will finish on these two points: The supercommittee is doing the very best that it can do. I am grateful that we will be opening opportunities for our own hearing in the coming week. But there is a dilemma. and that dilemma is that there is a certain amount of the vulnerable. needy of America that are protected. but there are some that are exposed. And what that means is that we will be looking in the face of America in 2012. looking back in our rearview mirror. and we will see along the highway of life the despair in those that have been left out by the draconian cuts that had to come because we have raised no revenue. That is a crisis. And if I might do a personal moment on my final closure. If we have States like the State of Texas that are. in essence. left with elected officials who have "N"-head Rockand I am coming to my closure. so you can understand how I prioritize what we should be doing. The "N"-word Rock. We have got StatesI come from that State. I am ashamed of that description but am proud to make it known on the floor of the House. Or we have State agencies that we fund. The Texas Motor Vehicle Boardthe State of Texas gets Federal fundswas about to issue a Confederate license plate issued by the State of Texas on November 10. I will be in Austin to oppose it. But the reason why I say that is. if we have time to deal with these negatives. do we not have the time to galvanize States and Representatives and Governors to focus on the most vulnerable? Dont we have time to call for the voices to be raised. to be able to give encouragement to the supercommittee. encouragement to those who are not willing to raise revenue. that the better way for America is to take that 8.5 percent deficit opposed to the GDP. boost the GDP. build. rebuild. create jobs. create jobs for small businesses? Lets steer ourselves away from negative Confederate flags and "N"-head and get all of the States to work together. Democrats and Republicans. to follow the Progressive message. which is liberty and justice for all and opportunity for all. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me on this occasion.