[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H7636-H7637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                          JOBS AND THE ECONOMY

  (Mr. VEASEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation's economy continues to 
improve, we still need to have a serious discussion about jobs in this 
country.
  As Congress will soon debate whether to extend unemployment benefits 
for needy Americans, we must remember that there are young people that 
are graduating from high schools in our country that are not ready to 
take jobs that are in high demand.
  For instance, from an article I read in The Wall Street Journal last 
year, an estimated 600,000 skilled middle class manufacturing jobs went 
unfilled in this country. That is absolutely unacceptable. Much of that 
can be attributed to kids who are simply unprepared.
  Mr. Speaker, improved education must be included if we are serious 
about rebuilding the middle class in this country. And if we are really 
serious about looking out for the middle class, we have to do something 
about raising the minimum wage in this country. Any serious discussion 
about raising the standard of living in our country without addressing 
these two areas of education and raising the low minimum wage that we 
have is simply not addressing the issue seriously.

[[Page H7637]]

  Mr. Speaker, I am trying to address these issues by having a job fair 
in my district on Friday, January 24, in Fort Worth at the Resource 
Connection. It is efforts like these and many others that will help get 
the middle class back on track in this country.

                          ____________________