[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 155 (Tuesday, September 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              THE ECONOMY

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, before I close, I want to mention the good 
economic news that continues to pour in. The economy created more than 
200,000 jobs in August, beating expectations, and the unemployment rate 
was yet again below 4 percent.
  Economic growth in the second quarter was even stronger than we 
thought--a robust 4.2 percent. Average hourly earnings for workers are 
rising at the fastest rate since 2009. Middle-class income hit its 
highest level ever last year.
  In 2017, U.S. job openings have hit a record high of 6.94 million 
jobs. In fact, the number of job openings has exceeded the number of 
unemployed in this country for the past 5 months. Think about that. The 
number of job openings--the number of jobs available to people in this 
country--has exceeded the number of people who are unemployed in this 
country for the past 5 months. That has never happened before in the 
history of tracking those two statistics.
  Consumer confidence is at an 18-year high. Small business optimism 
shattered its previous record high to reach a record high in August. 
The poverty rate has dropped to its lowest level since 2006. The 
percentage of Americans listing economic issues as the most important 
problem in the United States dropped to a record low, and the list 
continues.
  These are all facts. These are indisputable facts, and they are the 
results of policies that are put in place with an eye toward growing 
this economy at a faster rate and creating better paying jobs and 
higher wages for people in our economy.
  Since President Trump took office, Republicans have focused on fixing 
those things that have been holding the economy back. We removed 
burdensome regulations. We passed historic comprehensive reform in our 
Tax Code to put more money in Americans' pockets and to remove barriers 
to job creation and economic growth. Now we are seeing the results: 
strong economic growth--as I mentioned, 4.2 percent in the second 
quarter of this year--thriving small businesses, with optimism and 
investing confidence unlike anything we have seen in history, more 
money in families' paychecks, new jobs, better paying jobs, better 
benefits, and more opportunities for American workers.
  Mr. President, America is back in business, and it is American 
families and American workers who are benefiting from that. We intend 
to continue to work on an agenda that creates policies that will drive 
and fuel economic growth in this country and provide more 
opportunities, a better standard of living, and a higher quality of 
life for all Americans.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.

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