Standing Together for the Economy

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HIMES. Madam Speaker, tonight the President of the United States will stand in this Chamber and discharge his constitutional obligation to address the State of the Union for the Congress. I understand that many of my colleagues will be sitting together in a bipartisan way, and I think that's a good thing. What I really hope, though, is that we get commonsensical about where we are tomorrow, that as we talk about the economy, we agree that we should cut regulations which serve no purpose but to stifle industry, but that we should not attack the rules which keep our air clean and our water drinkable.

We can and we must reduce the deficit and get our fiscal house in order, but do not try to persuade the American public that we can fail to invest in schools, in railways, in highways, and in networks that will provide economic prosperity for decades to come.

I'm glad my colleagues are going to be sitting together in this Chamber tonight. What I really hope is that tomorrow we are standing together behind commonsensical changes that will make this economy strong.

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