Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining in America

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to the committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended.

Mr. Speaker, instead of voting on divisive bills that threaten communities and their water supply with toxic mining waste, we need to focus on creating jobs and getting unemployed Americans back to work.

Mr. Speaker, we have no more urgent mission than getting our veterans back to work. That is our priority. American families want their leaders to work together, Democrats and Republicans, to rebuild an economy that works for the middle class, not more partisan politics.

Today, over 2 million unemployed Americans have been waiting for Congress to restore Federal emergency unemployment benefits since December.

Among veterans who have served since 2001, the unemployment rate is 9 percent. This is disgraceful. During these tough economic times Americans need to focus and Congress needs to focus on getting Americans back to work.

This amendment would do just that, allowing priority hiring of veterans and those who have received unemployment insurance. To help create more jobs, we also need to make more products here in the United States. There is a greater opportunity for our people to make it in America if we make things in America.

That means we need to focus on creating the best conditions for American businesses to manufacture their products, to innovate, and to create jobs right here in the United States.

Already, more and more U.S. companies are bringing overseas manufacturing back home. Let's continue to encourage these U.S. companies to continue to bring those jobs back here and to build things here in America. We have seen the American auto industry come back, Apple computers, alternative energy companies, just to name a few. We need to continue to encourage these companies to make their products here.

That is exactly what this amendment does, and it will help set us on a solid path forward to a future of greater economic competitiveness, more jobs, and longstanding, long-term economic success.

Let's show the American people what our priorities are. It is about creating jobs and getting Americans back to work and, most importantly, getting our veterans back to work. That is exactly what this amendment does.

I urge the adoption of this important amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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