Roy Blunt: “over the last couple of weeks, many of us have had an opportunity to spend more time at home than we do just going back…”

“over the last couple of weeks, many of us have had an opportunity to spend more time at home than we do just going back and forth a few days a week. While I was there, I had the opportunity to talk to small business owners, employees--people who are seeing their paychecks for the first time reflecting what we have done with the tax bill. Both in my hometown of Springfield, MO, and around our State, I also heard a level of optimism that was very encouraging. One of the people I talked to was on the national board of manufacturers. A recent poll of the manufacturers looking at their confidence level reflected that it was the highest it has ever been in all of the time they have been polling on how they see the future. Mr. President, where you and I live, in an economy that makes things and grows things, we always do better. We are a productive part of the country. We don't do quite as well in an advice economy, but we are not opposed to an advice-giving economy. We have people who give advice. But, frankly, if you put that on top of truly productive capacity and a marketplace that meets that capacity, we always do very well. As I talked to people, I heard consistently two reasons that people feel their optimism is justified and understandably growing. One reason is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.…”