[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 8, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H1015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DEMOCRATS ARE DOING IMPORTANT WORK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Garcia) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
important work Democrats are doing to strengthen our supply chains and 
keep the U.S. economically competitive.
  Last year, the Biden-Harris administration and their allies in 
Congress achieved the best record of job creation in history. Let me 
repeat that: The best record of job creation in history.
  Texans continue to find jobs with higher pay or better benefits.
  We are seeing the best economy for American workers in decades, with 
people getting higher wages, better benefits, and better jobs thanks in 
large part to President Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
and the American Rescue Plan and an effective national vaccine rollout.
  When I visited with leadership from the Port of Houston in my 
district, they expressed their gratitude for Congress' strong 
investment in the maritime infrastructure needed to keep America's 
economy moving in the right direction.
  But they also expressed concern that more workers were still needed 
in technical training than our current system will provide.
  Last week, the House took another great step forward to support the 
job creation and the American workforce by passing the America COMPETES 
Act.
  Now it is critical for the Senate to move on the America COMPETES Act 
to pass measures like my grant program for training at Domestic 
Maritime Centers for Excellence.
  The America COMPETES Act will also provide real solutions to the 
problems of how we start making more of our Nation's critical products 
right here at home. This will provide more job opportunities as jobs 
return from abroad.
  It will also make our futures more secure by shifting away from 
reliance on foreign countries for the products that you and I and 
everyday Americans rely on.
  Finally, it will invest in critical infrastructure and development we 
need in science and technology to encourage and support our next 
generation of scholars, incentivize innovation, and keep the U.S. 
competitive.
  The bottom line, Madam Speaker, is that Americans are back to work 
and getting their vaccines and boosters at a record pace.
  The America COMPETES Act can continue this trend.
  We must get this bill to the President's desk now.
  I urge the Senate to pass it.

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