Jeanne Shaheen: “I rise to discuss the urgent need to address our Nation's economic challenges and to suggest that a major part of our…”

“I rise to discuss the urgent need to address our Nation's economic challenges and to suggest that a major part of our approach should be to invest in clean alternative energy and energy efficiency. The challenges before us are great. For 11 months in a row, the number of jobs in our Nation has declined. More and more families across the country are losing their homes to foreclosure, and too many Americans watched their retirement savings evaporate last year. It is no exaggeration to say that this 111th Congress and President-elect Obama will face some of the most difficult challenges in our country's history. These problems were created over many years, and they will not be solved quickly. But Americans have always united to meet great challenges, and I have no doubt that we will do so once more.”