[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16000]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          AMERICA'S PRIORITIES

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, over the last several weeks, I have had 
the opportunity to meet with my constituents in senior centers, 
farmers' markets, small businesses, and on factory floors to hear 
directly from them about their priorities.
  They are worried about the enormous challenges facing our country, 
such as ISIS and the spread of Ebola, but most of all, they are worried 
about the future and the future of their families.
  They spoke about the need to raise the minimum wage, invest in public 
safety, enact comprehensive immigration reform, strengthen public 
education, make college more affordable, and, most importantly, getting 
them back to work.
  Now that the elections are over, we shouldn't waste a single day 
without getting to work on their priorities. Like me, I am sure many of 
my colleagues heard the same message about creating jobs, growing the 
economy, and rebuilding the middle class.
  The American people want a Congress that gets things done and works 
for them instead of a Congress looking to score political points. While 
our economy has recovered, too many Americans feel left out of that 
recovery. So as we bring this Congress to an end and begin to prepare 
for the next Congress, we should all renew our commitment to the 
American people and remember whom we were sent here to serve.

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