Political Quotes

“our manufacturing base is slowly evaporating before our very eyes. Just last week, Rockford, Illinois-- the main city I represent--lost 3 facilities. Over 1,200 workers in a town of 150,000 lost their job last week. Over 2.8 million manufacturing jobs have been lost since July 2000. Manufacturing now just makes up 14 percent of our Gross Domestic Product. Yet, few people in Washington, D.C. are truly aware of this problem because this town doesn't produce much except paper. There are many causes to the problems facing manufacturing: high health care and energy costs; legal liabilities; a staggering tax and regulatory burden; an outdated export control system; a government procurement system that thinks that it is OK to buy abroad; and an unfair global trading system. I am proud to stand with Representative Phil English today in trying to bring about some relief in the trade area. The United States faces huge challenges with China. We all recognize and appreciate the difficulties the Chinese face as they integrate into the world economy. China is to be commended for going down a path towards more free markets and away from a planned economy. They have over 1.2 billion people and tens of millions of people enter their workforce each year. China must grow about eight percent a year just to keep even as they try to integrate new workers into the economy and also provide real employment for former workers at failed state-owned enterprises.”