Economic Growth
Floor Speech
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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, now on another matter, if I sound like a broken record discussing the pro-growth, pro-worker trend in our Nation's economy, it is because the headlines continue to roll in faster than I can relate them.
Here is one headline from last week: ``Small-business confidence hits another record high.'' And one industry survey reports more optimism among small business owners this month than at any time in the past 35 years.
Another headline: ``U.S. jobless claims fall for a second straight week.'' That one comes not long after the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits hit a 49-year low last month.
And another: ``U.S. retail sales increase strongly in July.'' In fact, they are up 6.4 percent over 1 year ago.
An economy that is expanding, bringing more people into the workforce, and encouraging investment at all levels--reports like these are exactly what Republicans had in mind when we began implementing our pro-growth, pro-opportunity agenda last year.
But while we worked to pass the historic tax reform and regulatory reforms that are helping create these conditions, our Democratic colleagues offered up a different set of predictions. They shared our belief that 2018 would be a headline-making year for the U.S. economy, but they insisted the headlines would be catastrophic. The House Democratic leader talked about ``Armageddon.'' My friend, the Senate Democratic leader, proclaimed that ``nothing''--nothing--in tax reform was ``suited to the needs of the American worker.''
I don't think I have heard my friends revisit those arguments recently.
I haven't heard too many Democrats eager to remind middle-class American families and small business owners that every single Democrat in the House and in the Senate tried to kill their tax cuts with completely partisan opposition.
But Republicans were undeterred. We pressed on and got tax reform and so many other pro-growth policies accomplished for the American people.
And now, unlike our friends across the aisle, we are talking about these victories practically every day. American enterprise, American ingenuity, and the talent and work ethic of our people are what made these headlines happen. Republicans are just proud we could play a part by getting Washington's foot off the brake and leaving them more free to build their lives and pursue their happiness.
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