[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 19, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3545-H3546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
(Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in response to the Chamber of
Commerce's recent claim that U.S. free trade agreements have supported
5.4 million jobs. I want someone to show those jobs to me because they
certainly aren't in Michigan or my district. Michigan has the highest
unemployment in the country. In my hometown of Flint, Michigan, the
unemployment rate is nearly 30 percent. At one time, we had nearly
80,000 auto jobs. Now we have about 6,000.
With every free trade agreement, we continue to send more jobs
overseas
[[Page H3546]]
and put American workers at a greater disadvantage. Come to my district
and I will show you the empty fields that used to employ thousands of
American workers before NAFTA, which I opposed. Our trade policy might
help create jobs and improve the quality of life for workers in other
countries but not in the United States.
____________________