Political Quotes

“my amendment would add $500 million to this bill for summer jobs. Many communities across our country are facing a funding crisis for their summer jobs programs. We live in a time, Mr. Chairman, of game show millionaires and Internet IPOs. I think sometimes we fail to recognize and overlook that the old-fashioned recipe for success really boils down to hard work. A recently released study shows that a student who gets a job early in life can expect to increase his or her future earnings by up to 10 to 12 percent. That is contrasted for a student who goes to an elite school. The study indicates that student would only increase his or her chances for future economic success by 1 percent. The summer jobs program was designed to help kids learn early in life the value of hard work and to give them an opportunity to get the work experience they need to thrive in the American economy. To a young person, a summer job is not just about wages to help his or her family for the summer. More importantly, a summer job is about learning a work ethic that he or she can take with him or her throughout their lifetimes. But the looming summer jobs crisis threatens to derail the summer youth employment programs of towns and cities all across America. I will in a moment withdraw this amendment, but I would first ask the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) if it is possible to address this issue in conference.”