[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2199]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         STATUS OF THE ECONOMY

  (Mr. CARTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, my son Johnny and his new bride bought a 
house last fall. He is a baseball coach at our local high school. He 
has joined a record number of people, the largest in the history of the 
United States, who own their own home. The great American Dream, to own 
your own home.
  The naysayers say the economy is struggling, but the facts do not 
prove out to be the truth. More people own their own home in America 
than at any time in the history of our Nation.
  We are growing. We have an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent, and that 
is one of the lowest in history. Texas unemployment is at an all-time 
low in modern history. Our economy grew a solid 4.1 percent in the 
third quarter, the 10th straight quarter of GDP at a rate above 3 
percent.
  We are producing more. We are growing more. We are providing more 
jobs. We need to prevent the tax increases that many in this body wish 
to make. We need to make sure that we maintain a good tax structure and 
keep the tax cuts in position so that this growth will continue. It is 
good for the American Dream.

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