Sherrod Brown

Maintaining or expanding Social Security is the single most effective thing we can do to prevent poverty and economic ruin for millions of senior citizens.

That is the purpose of the hearing, Senator Nelson.

Tax increases do not solve this problem, and it would be a mistake to go down that road.

Veterans in Ohio are now waiting less time for decisions.

IT for us is the way forward for really providing that even higher level of service to our veterans.

But the backlog in Cleveland has been persistent for some time. Does not the VA need to respond?

It seems that we are falling short depending on how you file on either or both of those.

The inventory in Cleveland has been decreased by 47.2 percent over the last 8 months.

So, why does it take 40 days longer in the Cleveland office?

I appreciate the VBA transformation plan. I think the results you outlined in your testimony are admirable and important and positive.

It is imperative, in my opinion, that an American Infrastructure Bank be part of the agenda of today's hearing.

I am of a mind that the fundamental challenge confronting us in trade now is even greater than the challenge confronting us in our Federal deficit.

If we can keep it from increasing the Federal deficit, get it properly sized, as Senator Merkley often talks about, toward $1 trillion, and put a Made in America or domestic content requirement on it, then that is millions of instant new…

I believe that if you want an Export-Import Bank loan, then you should have to respect the entire supply chain, for it is the taxpayers' money after all.

That's why China's recent actions to shut down foreign journalists are so troubling.

If foreign journalists cannot report the news in China, who will investigate the financial dealings of China's top leaders and their families?

Today I am calling on China to immediately cease its policy of harassing foreign journalists, denying and delaying their visas, and blocking the websites of foreign media in China.

We are calling on China immediately, this Commission and all of us in the Senate and House that care about these issues, to immediately cease its policy of harassing foreign journalists, period.

I thank Chairman Rockefeller and Ranking Member Thune for holding this hearing and for inviting me to testify.

I applaud Senators Brown and Blunt for introducing the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act.

Washington has made choices, I believe, that have left manufacturing behind, whether it is a bias towards finance at the expense of manufacturing.

How can we have a strong economy if we do not produce, if we do not make things?

It is critically important that we make the NNMI a reality.

The point of the story is the innovation so often takes place on the shop floor, and when we innovate and then make it elsewhere, we lose the edge we have.

The NNMI is a truly game-changing approach to 21st century American manufacturing.