[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 167 (Thursday, November 3, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H7265-H7266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE HOUSE-PASSED JOBS AGENDA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Woodall) for 5 minutes.
Mr. WOODALL. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time this morning. I came
down to talk about jobs too, and I brought with me a card that folks
may have seen--I know you've seen it, Mr. Speaker--that goes through
the House-passed jobs agenda. I try to keep it here in my pocket so
I'll be accurate when we talk about all of the good work that is
happening in the people's House to promote jobs and promote the
economy.
Because the truth is, Mr. Speaker, as you know, we only have two
pockets we can dig into. We can dig into the pocket where we talk about
government regulations that we are repealing to help job creators, we
can dig into the pocket where we talk about government mandates that
we're repealing to take the foot of government off the throat of small
businesses, or we can dig into the other pocket. And the other pocket
is where America's checkbook is. Because it's not my checkbook, as your
Congressman. As you know, Mr. Speaker, when I dig into the pocket for
the checkbook, I'm digging into your pocket. Every penny that we spend
comes out of your pocket.
So we have two choices as we talk about jobs and the economy. Are we
going to dig into the pocket of the American taxpayers' checkbook? Or
are we going to get the regulatory burden off of America's small
businesses? For me, the choice is easy. But the choice hasn't always
been easy in this House. Time and time again, this House goes to the
American people's checkbook to find solutions for America's problems.
And I will tell you that there's no problem in America that taking
money out of somebody else's pocket is going to fix.
The challenges in America are going to come when we get government
out of the way. I represent, Mr. Speaker, as you know, a wonderful
district in Georgia. I go back home and I talk about what's going on in
the United States House. I ask folks what they want to happen on the
United States House of Representatives floor, and they say, Rob, stop
helping. Stop. Just get out of
[[Page H7266]]
the way. Stop helping. You don't have the answers, just get out of the
way.
If folks go, as you have gone, Mr. Speaker, to jobs.gop.gov, they see
this House's effort to get government out of the way. And we've been
successful. We were successful in passing the repeal of the President's
health care bill's 1099 provision that burdens small businesses, and
the President signed that bill. We've been successful in passing three
free trade agreements, and the President has signed. As we know, we
have manufacturing surpluses with every nation with which we have a
free trade agreement.
But the work still has to be done, Mr. Speaker. There are jobs bills
languishing in the Senate. We call them the ``forgotten 15''--15 bills
that the Senate could pass tomorrow to get government out of the way
and get Americans back to work.
Two pockets we have, Mr. Speaker, the American taxpayers' pocket and
the pocket that contains the job-killing regulations that we can repeal
today. Let's choose correctly, Mr. Speaker--let's get jobs.gop.gov,
let's get this agenda done.
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