Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, what we don't need is more excuses. What America doesn't need is more excuses that have been heard on this floor for many years now. We don't need any more excuses, Mr. Speaker. We need action. This bill that we are deliberating on today will go a long ways toward making America much more viable and making America's manufacturing center much more robust. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the Members of this House that manufacturing has been the engine that drives the American economy for more than 100 years and it will continue to well into the 21st century. America's future growth, security, and leadership in the global economy will depend on the strength and viability of our manufacturing base. That's why it's so important to reverse the current ebb. The U.S., Mr. Speaker, has lost more than 5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000--almost 17 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the Nation. We can maintain our leadership position in the global economy but only if we strengthen the core of our economy, which is manufacturing. America's economy depends on manufacturing. Manufacturing in the U.S. generates about $1.4 trillion, or 12 percent of our gross domestic product. Manufacturing is responsible for nearly two-thirds of private sector research and development in the U.S. Over the past two decades manufacturing productivity has increased at twice the rate of the rest of the private sector.…”