[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 30 (Thursday, March 4, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

  (Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, it's past time to boost 
sustainable job creation by making strong commitments to our Nation's 
education and infrastructure. The results of the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act actually prove the point, but it can't be a one-shot 
deal. The hemorrhaging of jobs has stopped. In fact, jobless claims 
fell last week by 29,000. But now it's time to send all our people back 
to work. We can't do it on the cheap, and every State across our Nation 
has to be included. We need investments in plants and equipment to 
bring our manufacturing capacity into the 21st century before the rest 
of the world outpaces us.
  And let's find the political courage to buy America in order to build 
America, encouraging our businesses to create jobs here at home and not 
ship them abroad. We need sustained investments in vocational and 
technical training, community colleges, and retraining to grow a 
workforce to retain our competitive edge. And we have to foster 
innovation and creativity among our small businesses and entrepreneurs.
  Madam Speaker, our economic future relies on the strength of our 
education and the breadth of our opportunities. We must act quickly or 
risk being left behind.

                          ____________________