[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 252]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO THE HIGHEST OFFICE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last week, I came to the floor 
of the House to challenge the utilization of words because words 
matter. Candidates who are charging each other with a variety of sins 
decided to call President Barack Obama, who tonight will give us the 
State of the Union, the ``food stamp President.''
  For many of us who know our history, we might recall that in the 
1940s and beyond, there were many who were on government cheese. In 
fact, many people I know today smile about that government cheese and 
peanut butter that they were given. They include doctors and lawyers 
and leaders of this Nation, teachers, people who are expanding 
opportunities for others.
  This Nation is a great country, and we are reminded that many who 
start from humble beginnings can ascend to the highest office or the 
barons and the leadership of corporate America. So the negative 
connotation of ``food stamp President'' is to denigrate those who 
receive it rather than to suggest that there are opportunities in this 
Nation that no other country can provide.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about and look forward to the 
President's State of the Union as he speaks about income equality and 
challenges us, as a Nation, to come together, to move forward on 
expanding jobs, such as the President's American Jobs Act. But I raise 
for thought the problem of how we will come to that point.
  I'm looking at an article that suggests that ``Made in the USA'' may 
be a relic of the bygone. It uses one of our most famous, one of our 
most imitated companies in the world, Apple, which speaks to the genius 
of America. I will never step away from acknowledging that we are the 
inventive, the innovative, the genius, the creative population because 
we've been given freedom by our Constitution. But when you ask the 
question why the iPhone is manufactured elsewhere and you hear comments 
about why the genius of this particular company has not been translated 
into a number of jobs, why decisions have been made to move 
manufacturing overseas, and you ask the question where is the corporate 
social responsibility, for example, and where is the generosity in 
terms of hiring American workers, well, we know that the international 
economy is intertwined. Companies once felt an obligation to support 
American workers even when it wasn't the best financial choice. We call 
that ``American generosity.'' But I understand the bottom line.
  So it is important that we begin to look at the items that the 
President is talking about, jobs skills training, and to find a way to 
restore the modern manufacturing that will bring more jobs to America.
  Why do these companies move overseas? In this article, it suggests 
because of the supply chain and the way factories can be put up and put 
down in these foreign countries. Now, you tell me why we can't do that. 
I believe we can. It is all about focus and logistics. And tonight, as 
the President expands on his Kansas speech about how we are a great 
Nation, I'm looking for ways to end that income inequality, to come 
together and make sure that those who make much can have the ability to 
share those dollars but yet still make a grand profit. I want to see us 
improve our supply chains and logistics. I want to see us get factories 
up and bring them down.
  We restored the American auto industry by commitment, dedication, and 
sacrifice. At last I heard, General Motors now is the number one 
manufacturer of automobiles in the world. How did it come about? 
Because Democrats came together and joined around, with a bipartisan 
support, the idea that we can create jobs; we can manufacture jobs.
  Let me just say this: I will accept the challenge tonight that the 
President will offer, and I will realize that a food stamp family today 
providing for their children are the presidents and CEOs and astronauts 
and inventors of tomorrow. That's the kind of Nation that we are.
  I say it always, and I will say it again. ``Food stamp'' is a 
denigrating term when you say ``food stamp President,'' as if the 
President does not want to create jobs. We're tired of the buzzwords 
and innuendo about certain groups, but I believe that we have a way of 
coming out of this.
  Mr. Speaker, now is the time. It is an urgency of now. It is the 
justice and equality that Martin Luther King and many other great 
leaders spoke of. It is this mosaic Nation of people from all walks of 
life that have shown the world we're the greatest Nation in the world. 
I'm looking forward to pursuing that in the 21st century, building jobs 
and saying, ``God bless America.''

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