[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 619-620]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           STATE OF OUR UNION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann) for 2 minutes.
  Mrs. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak 
today.
  This evening, we will hear from the President of the United States in 
his State of the Union address, and it is a privilege for the people of 
our country to be able to hear from our President what his remarks are 
about the State of our Union.
  We look forward to hearing, Mr. Speaker, what the President's plan 
will be going forward to lift our country out of the high unemployment 
rates that we have been dealing with during these last 20 months. To 
have the unemployment rate in excess of 9 percent and, in some cases, 
over 10 percent has been unacceptable. It's been a hardship for so many 
people in the Nation.
  Also, I am looking forward to finding out what the President's pro-
job growth agenda will be going forward. We want to get unemployment 
rates back to much lower levels so that families and businesses can 
thrive again.
  Also, Mr. Speaker, I am looking to find out what will be the specific 
cuts that the President will be proposing. We haven't heard specific 
cuts so far. In fact, we have heard that the President may be referring 
to investments, meaning more spending yet again, spending that this 
country simply cannot afford because, as we know, Mr. Speaker, we are 
falling off the cliff in terms of debt increases. That is not good for 
the next generation of Americans.
  Second, I am wondering what specific pieces of legislation that the 
President has proposed would he be willing to repeal. We know, for 
instance, that the cap-and-trade proposal that's working through the 
EPA will be one that will be a job killer. We know that for the health 
care law as well, that it is, in fact, a job killer.
  Finally, I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, what areas of regulations the 
President would be willing to do away with. The President had made a 
statement last week that he wants to direct all of the agencies to look 
for regulations

[[Page 620]]

that would kill jobs. Well, we know that the EPA regulations will, in 
fact, do that, and we are wondering if, perhaps, the President would be 
willing to put those on the table and delay implementation of the cap-
and-trade system through the EPA.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, we also know that with Americans paying in 
excess of $3 a gallon for gasoline that it may be wise now to look at 
American energy production. What would those proposals be from the 
President? We look forward to hearing that this evening.

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