Marcy Kaptur: “I want to thank Chairman Brady for his leadership and the expeditious manner in which his committee dealt with this…”

“I want to thank Chairman Brady for his leadership and the expeditious manner in which his committee dealt with this bill. I thank him for his leadership on jobs in America all the time. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2039 when it comes to a vote later today, the Made in America Promise Act, which applies the provisions of the Buy America Act that already apply to the executive branch to the legislative branch, the Congress. It is apparent to all America that we are facing a daunting job deficit. Over 14.9 million people still are out of work. Moreover, in 2009, our Nation racked up a trade deficit of $375 billion, and this year it's likely to be double that, with more imports coming into our Nation than exports going out. For every billion dollars of trade deficit, we lose a minimum of 10,000 more jobs. Without this mammoth trade deficit, our economy this year would have grown 5 percent. Instead, growth was readjusted downward to 1.5 percent, a huge 3-point drop, and the worst growth rate since 1947, because trade deficits matter. For America to address this job gap, our unconscious Nation must develop a consciousness to make it in America again, because production here equals jobs in America. That consciousness must begin here in Congress in the highest law-making branch of our Nation. This bill applies the Buy America provisions to the legislative branch.”