[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1549]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the President 
stated, ``with renewed confidence,'' the ``state of our Union is 
stronger.''
  I know that the President would certainly like that to be the case, 
but I wonder: Is the confidence stronger for the more than 22 million 
unemployed and underemployed Americans and their family members who 
remain struggling to make ends meet?
  Mr. Speaker, is the confidence of Americans renewed when they fill 
their gas tanks and oil tanks with fuel at record-high costs?
  Mr. Speaker, is their confidence renewed when the most recent 
economic data show America's economy shrinking for the first time in 
3\1/2\ years?
  The challenges facing the Nation do require smart solutions, but 
unlike the President, I believe smart solutions mean smarter 
government, not bigger government. They mean a greater emphasis on 
promoting individual freedoms, lower taxes, and fewer regulations in 
order to grow jobs and opportunities for those struggling and searching 
for greater opportunity. They mean fewer restrictions on accessing 
energy under Federal lands, which can dramatically increase domestic 
supply and lower energy costs for all. These are among the solutions we 
need.

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