On the recordJune 17, 2013
As I begin, I do want to wish and hope that you and others of our colleagues had a very happy Father's Day yesterday. It is one of the most important things for fathers, and mothers, to be able to provide for their families. Mr. Speaker, this evening I would like to talk about what for many Americans is probably the most pressing, or maybe depressing, issue our country is facing right now: jobs, unemployment and the need to create more jobs. But while we as a Nation face challenges, the roadmap to prosperity is clear. The question is, will we act on the recommendations of those who create the jobs, that drive our national economy, America's small businesses and entrepreneurs? As I speak, the unemployment rate in the United States stands at 7.6 percent. According to the American Enterprise Institute, just 64.4 percent of working age men are employed, the lowest level by far since the Great Depression, and an astounding 5 percentage points lower than at the beginning of the current downturn. A staggering 4.4 million workers have been out of work for 27 weeks or longer. {time} 2130 In Illinois, my home State, the unemployment rate is even higher--at 9.3 percent. The unemployment rate in my home State has been at or above 8.6 percent since April of 2009; 611,000 people are currently out of work in Illinois.…
