[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 835-836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    RESTORE AN OPPORTUNITY GOVERNMENT THROUGH RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McClintock). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, last night, we gathered here in the 
House of Representatives for a great American tradition: the State of 
the Union--the Presidential address where we celebrate openness and 
transparency in our government, where a vision is laid out that we are 
free to disagree with or agree with components of but, nonetheless, 
points to this great American ideal that we are a people who self-
govern and that we are accountable in an open way to the people who 
sent us here, even in the midst of deep philosophical divides about the 
direction of our Nation--and, of course, the world was watching.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe it is important, though, that we take a moment 
of reflection and be honest about this moment in time and the current 
conditions in our society. Many Americans do face downward mobility, 
stagnant wages, and an increased cost of living.
  Many people feel very abandoned in the face of a Washington-Wall 
Street axis, where more and more power is concentrated into fewer and 
fewer hands. But I think we have to be careful about something. We have 
to be careful about seeing the solution as lying in more government.
  I think our Nation deserves a smart and effective government, and I 
think our job here in Congress is to continue in an open way, look at 
the past, and see what worked and see what doesn't work, to let go of 
that which is tired and old and worn out and continues to linger, and 
to invest more in that which is smart and effective and can truly build 
a good society that creates opportunity for all.
  Mr. Speaker, I also believe that we shouldn't divide ourselves by 
class and income and that, in a healthy economy, it is one that is 
focused on small business. This is where most new jobs are created in 
our country.
  Particularly for young people, I think we need to create a culture of 
creativity, one in which a person who has an idea can seize the moment 
and use the gifts of their own two hands and their own intellect to 
make good things, to create benefit for others, to create jobs, hire 
people, protect families, and to make a contribution to society.
  Many young people want to pursue these avenues; yet we have to be 
honest about what is happening. We are entering, in this country, into 
an entrepreneurial winter. What does that mean? In other words, the 
number of startup businesses--small businesses--is less than the number 
of small businesses dying.
  We do not have a net increase in the number of small businesses; and, 
again, this is where most Americans live and work, making good things 
for others, in small business. That is where jobs are created.
  How do we address this problem? Well, the tendency, again, in our 
body is to think about public solutions, but let's examine--not through 
my opinion but just the analytics--as to why small businesses are not 
creating new jobs and are not starting up as aggressively as they have 
in the past.
  It is really two things. It is health care and regulations. Smart 
regulations are necessary to protect the health and well-being of all 
Americans, but when you have oppressive regulations that tend to stack 
the deck toward those who are larger and can hire an army of lawyers 
and accountants, it represses the ability of small businesses to take 
risks and create jobs.
  The second problem we have is health care. Mr. Speaker, I got an 
email yesterday from someone who said: ``Congressman, my health care 
has gone up so much that I have to move into government housing.'' Now, 
think of the irony of that.
  Again, we need the right type of health care reform, one that is 
going to reduce costs and improve health care outcomes while we protect 
vulnerable persons. But what has happened? Some people have been helped 
by the new law, but many, many families have been hurt with escalating 
health care costs, and, again, it creates an environment in which small 
business is repressed.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I think our government should be smart and 
effective, and I think that is what most Americans want, but Washington 
continues to remain mired in mediocrity, and political dysfunction and 
partisan gridlock have made smart and proper government difficult.
  This arthritic recovery has dimmed the financial prospects of too 
many individuals who, again, have stagnant

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wages or who have given up hope and feel directionless, isolated, and 
alone. We can do better, and we must do better.
  Despite these challenges, I believe the start of a new Congress is an 
exciting time to renew our government and this promise of our Nation. I 
would like to say this, Mr. Speaker: there is nothing wrong in America 
that can't be fixed by what is right in America, but it is going to 
require bold resolve, innovative public policy, and a return to our 
highest ideals.

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