[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 132 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H5978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     LET'S BUILD A STRONGER AMERICA

  (Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, our unemployed are hurting, and America's 
infrastructure is crumbling. It would seem morally indefensible and 
fiscally irresponsible not to take the opportunity to help solve one 
problem by addressing the other.
  The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 14 
million Americans are looking for jobs while the total number of job 
openings is just over 3 million. So if every single job is miraculously 
filled overnight, there would still be 11 million unemployed Americans 
looking for work and needing jobs. At the same time, all across 
America, there is work that urgently needs to be done. Our bridges, our 
roads, our schools, and other infrastructure are structurally 
deficient.
  The two most important responsibilities this Congress faces are 
keeping Americans safe and helping to create jobs. This is our chance 
to do both. Let's choose to build a stronger America through making it 
in America and building it in America with American workers.

                          ____________________