Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4692, the National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010, introduced by my dear friend from Illinois, Congressman Dan Lipinski. I commend him for his leadership on this important issue. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the U.S. to revise our manufacturing policy. This bill under consideration has gained strong bipartisan support from Members of Congress because it speaks to the level of leadership in the manufacturing arena that our Nation seeks to assert once again on the global stage. America's manufacturing sector is an essential foundation of our Nation's economy. Consider the fact that in 2009 the manufacturing sector employed more than 11.5 million people. Ladies and gentlemen, that number, though significant, is not as good as it could be when you consider that 10 years ago America's manufacturing sector employed 17.3 million people, meaning that our Nation actually lost 5.8 million manufacturing jobs between the years 1999 and 2009. The National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010 will make a significant difference in helping to restore and reposition our Nation's manufacturing capacity so that American workers can compete in today's global economy. Today, we are still fighting our way through a global financial crisis, and we are facing aggressive competition from industrialized nations as well as emerging countries.…”