Paul Tonko: “Right. Well, what I hear here is that an election outcome is more important than the outcome for the American worker.…”

“Right. Well, what I hear here is that an election outcome is more important than the outcome for the American worker. And when political party benefit trumps the American worker or trumps America's manufacturing base and trumps hope into the future, that's a regrettable outcome. What we need to focus on is the big picture. If there is upset and upheaval because we're coming back from what was a very long and deep and painful recession, if that's upsetting news to a political scene, then we have lost the spirit that is required right now to bring America back and to reignite the American Dream. That reigniting of the American Dream I believe is what people want to see in action. They keep asking Washington to work together in a bipartisan, bicameral, spirited way, work in a way that will engage the policies and advocate for the resources that will build the hope back into the fabric of America's families, her individuals. And it's within our grasp. These ladders of success, these rungs of opportunity, they are a very achievable goal. We saw what happened when you ignore manufacturing. We saw what happened when you avoid sound agriculture policy. We saw what happened when you didn't get aggressive about an innovative agenda for energy generation, energy alternatives, energy efficiency. These are the things that people are asking us to do as leaders. They say, We asked you to lead, not to sit content with the status quo, not to watch others pass us by.…”