[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16653]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        GOP JOB-CREATING AGENDA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, when I go home every weekend and talk to my 
constituents, there are two things that they ask me repeatedly: What 
can be done about jobs, and what can be done about energy prices?
  My constituents understand the colossal failure of the Obama stimulus 
bill. My constituents understand that government can create jobs only 
for more government bureaucrats. And those bureaucrats will have to 
justify their existence by creating more regulations that will kill 
more private sector jobs.
  The liberal Democrats in Congress keep asking for a Republican jobs 
bill. Well, Mr. Speaker, we have passed at least 15 jobs bills. We have 
them outlined on this card, as my two colleagues before me talked 
about, and they are shown on jobs.gop.gov. We've passed at least 15 
jobs bills that will help the private sector do exactly what Americans 
are asking us to do, which is to create jobs through growth in their 
businesses and allowing new businesses to form.
  The liberal elite keep buying into the failed theory that government 
will create millions of jobs. The reality is that unless we provide the 
private sector with an environment that is conducive to job creation, 
jobs will be hard to come by.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember the cost of a gallon of gasoline when 
President Obama was sworn in, it was $1.85. Today, it is at least 
$3.45, an 86-percent increase--and it was a 100-percent increase until 
very recently. Republicans have addressed this with legislation that 
increases American energy production, provides us with energy security, 
and lowers our dependency on Middle Eastern oil.
  Mr. Speaker, Republicans listen to the American people. We are acting 
to provide business owners and entrepreneurs the tools that they need 
to create jobs and at the same time reduce the cost of energy. We have 
advanced legislation that will help our constituents in these two very 
important ways: by helping businesses and their communities hire 
people, and by reducing the cost of energy.
  But what has happened to legislation that will put Americans to work 
and lower energy costs? Democrat intransigence. The Senate has had 
these bills for months now and has failed the American people by 
refusing to take action. Senate Democrat Majority Leader Reid recently 
said: ``It's very clear that private sector jobs are doing just fine.'' 
This failure to accept the reality that the job-killing, anti-growth 
policies of this administration and the liberal elites are the key 
contributors to the 9.1-percent unemployment rate that continues to be 
in the United States.
  The liberal Democrats keep pushing for what is almost a carbon copy 
of the failed Obama stimulus that cost the taxpayers almost $1 trillion 
without having the slightest positive impact on unemployment and the 
economy. Now President Obama and the liberal elites are asking to do it 
all over again--more spending, fewer jobs.
  The administration wants to continue to pick winners and losers and 
fund unproven technologies that cost the taxpayers billions with little 
or no return. One shining example--if that's the way you want to look 
at it--is the Solyndra fiasco. The administration acted like a venture 
capital firm and squandered half a billion dollars, leaving the 
taxpayer holding the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, while the liberal elites in the House and Senate keep 
thinking that the private sector--the job-creating sector--is doing 
fine, House Republicans will continue to craft and pass legislation to 
help job creators, to lower energy prices, and to improve the economy. 
And I encourage Americans to learn about this on their own through 
jobs.gop.gov.

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