[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12184-12185]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REBUILDING THE AMERICAN DREAM

  (Mr. PERLMUTTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I am from Colorado, and in Colorado, 
just like all across the country, Americans believe that if they work 
hard, if they play by the rules, if they're responsible in how they 
conduct their lives, they're going to get ahead.
  Well, it's been very tough here recently. We've had a downturn. We 
have all this uncertainty because of, I believe, Republican 
brinksmanship to either shut down the government or maybe shut down the 
economy.

[[Page 12185]]

  People want to get ahead. They want to know that this country will 
continue to innovate, educate, and rebuild itself so that we have good, 
long-lasting jobs that provide for our families. That's what Democrats 
stand for. We don't stand for all this brinksmanship every day.
  Are we going to have a government or are we not? Are we going to have 
an economy or are we not? That's got to change. We have got to get back 
to rebuilding the American Dream.

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