[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 8969-8970]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              THE ECONOMY

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, the latest unemployment numbers indicate 
that nearly 106,000 Arkansans are unemployed. This 7.7 percent 
unemployment rate is higher than when the so-called stimulus passed 
that President Obama and Majority Leader Reid promised would produce 
jobs for hard-working Americans. Although this rate is below the 
national average, the numbers show that out-of-work Arkansans continue 
to struggle to find gainful employment.
  What is more alarming is that the President and the majority here in 
the Senate are resisting real change and insisting on more of the same 
borrow, spend, and tax policies that have given us record unemployment 
and a sluggish economy.
  In November, Americans gave a clear sign that job creation needs to 
be a priority. Unfortunately, the Senate majority and President Obama 
have failed to prove that this is at the top of the agenda. Time and 
time again, the Senate and our President add to the uncertainty that is 
stifling job creation. Commonsense legislation that would create the 
conditions for job growth is not brought to the floor. It is not 
because the Senate has more pressing issues. There is no excuse as to 
why the Chamber avoids voting on legislative and policy items that will 
provide real relief for the unemployed, such as the stalled free-trade 
agreements.
  As news reports have pointed out over the past several weeks, the 
business in this body is progressing at a historically slow pace. As 
the Washington Post reported last week, ``Quorum calls have taken up 
about a third of its time since January, according to the C-SPAN 
statistics.''
  Americans are tired of the games. They need jobs, and it is our duty 
to help.
  Linda from Mountain Home, AR, recently wrote to me asking the same

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thing millions of Americans want to know: ``Where are the jobs?'' She 
continued her e-mail asking what legislation Republicans introduced 
that will stimulate the economy and create jobs. I want to thank Linda 
for her letter and let her know my colleagues and I are on the side of 
the American worker, and that is evident by the legislation we have 
offered. These practical free market ideas will put Americans back to 
work, and, like the millions of Americans who are looking for jobs, we 
are anxious to vote on them and approve these measures.
  In February, we introduced the REINS Act, of which I am a proud 
cosponsor. Too often, Federal agencies overstep their boundaries and 
enact expensive mandates that strangle investment and job creation 
without congressional approval. This commonsense legislation provides a 
check and balance between Congress and the executive branch and allows 
business to focus on growth instead of how to comply with burdensome 
regulations.
  This starts with making changes to unfunded mandates by the 
Environmental Protection Agency. Unnecessary and burdensome regulations 
imposed on our businesses cost money and cost jobs. EPA has put a 
target on America's industrial, manufacturing, and agricultural job 
creators. Clean air, clean water, and conservation are all very 
important, but the heavyhanded regulations coming from this EPA have 
little or nothing to do with clean air or clean water. We are 
witnessing a Federal bureaucratic power grab on behalf of a radical, 
job-destroying agenda. These regulations are making food more 
expensive, energy more expensive, and gasoline more expensive, and they 
are driving jobs out of our country. Our competitors are taking our 
jobs and emitting far more pollution into our atmosphere and oceans 
than we would here in the United States. Again, it is all pain and no 
gain. As the administration works to drive up the cost of energy, they 
seem to forget that a prosperous country is a country that can invest 
in conservation and protect the environment.
  The President still wants to blame his predecessor for our sluggish 
economy and lack of jobs. The blame game won't help the President 
politically, and it won't help turn our economy around. It is true that 
President Obama inherited a weak economy, but he made it worse. Before 
President Obama took office, the Federal Government was carrying out 
many policies that distorted the market and contributed to the 
meltdown. In 2008, we were spending too much money and running severe 
deficits. Now our deficit is three times as big. Sadly, President Obama 
has made each of our economic problems worse.
  I believe it is important to provide American businesses with an 
equal opportunity to compete and succeed while opening new markets for 
American products. I strongly believe that when presented with a level 
playing field, American businesses and workers can outperform any in 
the world in terms of quality and value.
  With three pending trade agreements on the table waiting for 
approval, we are wasting precious time and resources at our disposal to 
open foreign markets to U.S. products. The lack of action on the 
Colombia, Panama, and South Korea agreements is concerning. I believe 
we need to move forward as quickly as possible to ratify these 
policies. American companies and their workers are losing market share 
and are being denied valuable business opportunities. That is why one 
of the first pieces of legislation I cosponsored as a Member of the 
Senate was S. Res. 20, legislation that urges this Chamber to consider 
and approve the pending free-trade agreements with these countries.
  On multiple occasions, President Obama expressed support for the 
implementation of all of these trade agreements in order to reduce our 
Nation's deficit and create American jobs for American workers. So far, 
there is still a failure to act on any of these agreements.
  Americans deserve legislation that will promote job growth, but one 
of President Obama's legislative cornerstones, health care reform, 
actually costs jobs. We were told ObamaCare would create 4 million 
jobs, but reality tells a different story.
  According to the Congressional Budget Office, there will be 750,000 
fewer jobs. This legislation is bad for business. That is why we voted 
to eliminate the onerous 1099 reporting requirements included in this 
flawed legislation.
  I will continue to fight for a full repeal of this law as we seek 
meaningful health care reform that provides quality, affordable access 
for all citizens based on free market principles.
  The simple truth is there are 14 million Americans out of work and 
millions more who have been forced into retirement or gave up looking 
for a job. These 14 million Americans are calling for our help, yet the 
majority and the administration continue to ignore their pleas.
  We have a plan that is ready to move, and the practical free market 
ideas it is based upon will put Americans back to work. Let's show 
Linda in Mountain Home and the millions of Americans looking for a job 
that we are working to change the direction our country is headed and 
be a job creator.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I ask that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coons). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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