[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17526]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           FINDING GOOD NEWS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, sometimes I get tired of all the 
bad news. You come here and you listen to the speeches that go before 
the House and you think, my goodness gracious, there must be all sorts 
of bad news out there.
  When I go home and I talk to constituents at home about any issue, I 
often lead off with saying, ``I am going to have to tell you some 
things that you haven't seen on television and that you haven't read in 
the newspaper,'' because the good news, the good news that is happening 
here, oftentimes gets smothered with all the bad news and all the 
political sniping that goes on.
  I was pleased to hear the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) just 
now get up and demonstrate her passion, her passion, for principles 
that we hold dear here in the United States. I was also wonderfully 
pleased to hear the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) 
earlier talk about the importance of health care and Health Savings 
Accounts, an exciting proposal, an exciting policy that we have here, 
that we have adopted in the Congress, that will allow individuals 
greater choice in health care. That is good news. That is good news.
  When I read my local paper, I have got to get way down in that paper 
before I see good news. In terms of politics, all you see is who is 
fighting whom and what will not happen. It is remarkable.
  So I am here to talk about a little good news today, because we have 
good news that we need to spread across this Nation.
  There has been a remarkable turnaround in this Nation's economy. The 
policies that this Congress have adopted have helped our Nation recover 
from attacks at home, recover from corporate scandals, recover from the 
bursting of the tech bubble and the incredible demands that we have 
facing us as a Nation in the War on Terror. These are real challenges, 
incredible challenges, but we are a strong and a vibrant and a 
resourceful Nation, and we can overcome these challenges, and, frankly, 
any other that folks throw in our way.
  But what are the principles that are guiding us? Strong, common 
sense, conservative principles that foster entrepreneurship and almost 
guarantee success. These are the true engines, entrepreneurship, of job 
growth and strength in our economy.
  From tax relief, to a responsible decrease in areas of our Federal 
budget, this Republican major is leading the way with a return to 
fiscal discipline and economic growth as our guideline. And what are 
the results? What are the results? There used to be somebody on 
television that said, ``Let's go the videotape.'' Here we say, ``Let's 
go to the chart.''
  Look at this chart. This is May 2003 and these are the number of jobs 
that have been created in this Nation. May 2003. And look where we are 
in June 2005. It is a steady increase in growth in the number of jobs. 
That is exciting news. That is good news. Have you seen it in your 
newspaper? Have you heard about it on television or on the radio? 
Probably not. But that is good news, and it is good news that is 
happening because of the policies that this Congress has adopted.
  More Americans are working now than ever before. More Americans are 
working than ever before in our Nation's history. Nearly 4 million jobs 
have been created over the past 2 years. The economy has had job 
growth, more job growth, 24 straight months. Look at that, 24 straight 
months. That is good news.
  Unemployment is at 5 percent. Say, what is that? Well, it is lower 
than the averages for the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s. Unemployment 
is at an all-time low, given the averages over the last three decades. 
Unemployment is down for all levels of education, all races and all 
ages. This is great news.
  So I ask my colleagues and I ask folks back home when they pick up 
their newspaper, do not look at the front page; go to page 7 or 8 or 9 
or further, and you may find some good news there. Those are the kinds 
of stories that need to be on the front page.
  Mr. Speaker, we in Congress here are going to continue to work in a 
positive and a confident way, one that is trustful of Americans and one 
that appreciates and believes in America. I look forward to being 
joined by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to further these 
common sense principles.

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