[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1772]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               SEQUESTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Arizona (Ms. Sinema) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SINEMA. Madam Speaker, my State, Arizona, has made tremendous 
sacrifices in the struggle to stand strong through our Nation's fiscal 
crisis. Today, Arizona is last in education funding, last in retail 
growth, and first in home foreclosures.
  I'm proud to say, however, that Arizonans are resilient. We are 
tough. Our State was forged out of rugged frontierism--we're 
independent and we have deep respect for the traditions that make us 
Arizona. We've never shrunk from a tough fight and we've never been 
afraid to roll up our sleeves and work hard. Right now, we're working 
hard to climb out of the recession that we all face together. It hasn't 
been easy, but we're doing it.
  Arizona is sixth in the Nation for defense sector jobs. Most of these 
are private sector jobs. Employers have come to Arizona because of our 
people and our work ethic. We innovate and compete alongside booming 
defense States like California, Texas, and Virginia. Employers are 
hiring thousands of skilled workers from our communities. Our State is 
a vital resource to our Nation's military readiness. We were able to 
get there through hard work, innovative thought, and intense 
collaboration between community and industry partners.
  In the greater Phoenix area, our economy is currently growing 
steadily at the rate of 3 percent, but the deep cuts, known as the 
sequester, would cut our growth in half. In fact, Arizona's potential 
job losses caused by sequestration rank 13th among all U.S. States. 
These losses will be felt by families working in Arizona's defense 
sector and military base operations. These are skilled, middle class 
jobs.
  Of the nearly 50,000 jobs that we expect to lose in Arizona from the 
sequester, approximately 35,000 are linked to military readiness and 
base operations. Furloughs will affect 10,000 civilian workers, and 
Arizonans will experience a devastating $52 million pay cut.
  I come home each week and I talk about the work that we're doing in 
Congress, but most of the time I come home to listen. A few weeks ago, 
I had the opportunity to listen to plant engineers at General Dynamics 
in Scottsdale. They showed me the high-tech and innovative defense 
products that were coming right out of our own community, built and 
programmed by our friends and neighbors. This type of innovation in our 
own backyard is the future of our State, and that future is in danger.
  Last week, a bipartisan group of city elected officials, business 
leaders, and community advocates gave me a message to bring back to 
Congress. I'm proud of their joint effort, and I'm proud of their 
service to our community. I consider it a privilege to deliver their 
message.
  In our State, we are concerned that Congress will turn the clock back 
on Arizona's hard work and progress. We are worried about hardworking 
families losing their jobs.
  As the granddaughter of a World War II veteran and a proud sister of 
a gunner's mate in the U.S. Navy today, I remember every day that it is 
our moral duty to do right by the men and women in uniform who risk 
their lives to keep us safe.
  Avoiding the sequestration should not be about partisanship or 
finger-pointing; it's about jobs. It's that simple. I stand with the 
dean of our State's delegation, Senator John McCain, when I say that 
this sequester will be devastating for Arizona. It's bad for 
hardworking Americans, and it turns a blind eye to my State's proud 
efforts and proven perseverance. I affirm my commitment to working with 
anybody who's willing to put our differences aside and put the people 
we serve first.
  We still have time to stop this. Let's roll up our sleeves together 
and get the work done.

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