Economic Growth

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, last week brought another set of encouraging headlines about our growing economy. In the month of May, the U.S. economy generated 223,000 new jobs. Unemployment has fallen to 3.8 percent, its lowest level since April of 2000. The proportion of American adults who are employed is as high as it has been at any point since the financial crisis.

We know these economic indicators can sometimes be noisy, but consider them alongside all of the other signs we have seen over the past year. Since President Trump was elected alongside a Republican Congress, the number of Americans who say they are optimistic about finding a good job has jumped 25 percentage points, and small business owners report in record numbers that they are optimistic about the prospects of hiring new employees.

The bottom line is clear: Under the policies of this unified Republican government, American workers, families, and business owners are achieving economic growth that is unmatched in recent memory. It is driven by a 21st century tax code that lets Americans keep more of their own money and encourages job creators to invest in our Nation's workers.

It is made possible by historic regulatory reform, which has leveled the playing field for American consumers and small businesses. From farmers and ranchers to community bankers, the burdens of an out-of- control regulatory state are being lifted.

So after a decade of stagnation, Republican policies have gotten Washington out of the way and freed American workers and job creators to do what they do best--build a dynamic economy that is literally the envy of the world.

But as impressive as some of these statistics may be, I think it is important to keep in mind that these stories are, at the end of the day, human stories. More than 1 million new jobs have been created just since we passed tax reform last December. That is not an abstract number. That is 1 million opportunities for young workers who are just starting out and need to begin climbing the first rungs of the economic ladder; for young fathers and mothers who can now leave a position where their pay has stayed flat for a new opening in their industry; or for midcareer professionals who were sidelined by a tough economy and can now suit up and check back in to the game.

These aren't just economic statistics; they are American men and women who have new chances to support their families and build their lives that they simply did not have under the policies of the previous administration.

I am glad that we fought and won--and will continue to win--major accomplishments for the middle-class families we represent.

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