Sherwood Boehlert: “I rise in the strongest possible opposition to this amendment. Let me tell you why. I am going to mention a four-letter…”

“I rise in the strongest possible opposition to this amendment. Let me tell you why. I am going to mention a four-letter word, and do not get nervous. Here is a four-letter word we can all use in polite company. It is called jobs. What is more important in America today than helping people who are unemployed obtain employment, helping people who are underemployed obtain a job? Jobs is indeed, and it should be, our favorite four letter word in this Chamber. And with the Economic Development Administration, we have an agency of the Federal government whose sole purpose is to advance that agenda, that is, the jobs agenda, for America. We all know, we have been victims in my district and many other districts to the downsizing, they call it, of the military. All across this country, military installations are being closed or are being significantly reduced. Sadly to say, in my own district, I am losing about 5,000 jobs because the Air Force is reducing the size of Griffiss Air Force Base. But I understand that. I do not particularly like it. I understand it. So what are we going to do? Are we going to put our tail between our legs and say there is nothing we can do? No, we are marching on the Philadelphia office of the Economic Development Administration, with plans in hand. We are saying to the EDA, look, it is your mission to help us. We want to work with you. Guess what? They are doing a pretty darn good job.”