Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in favor of this very important, I think, legislation sponsored by my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Johnson). I want to thank him for his leadership on this bill because it is a very pro-growth jobs bill. I think it is very important that we pass this. I happen to be the chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, and our Nation's brick industry is primarily made up of small, family- owned businesses that employ thousands of workers. In Ohio alone, brick companies directly employ more than 700 workers and ensure the livelihoods of thousands of other workers. {time} 1100 Brick is used to construct, as we all know, residential homes and has been used to build some of our country's most iconic landmarks, such as Independence Hall, the birthplace of this great Nation. With the severe downturn in construction during the Great Recession, the brick industry suffered significantly and still has not fully recovered. The industry is operating at about 50 percent of its capacity and suffered a 45 percent job loss from 2005 to 2012. Now, small brick manufacturers are facing a costly new EPA regulation that may make it impossible for them to keep their doors open. That means those jobs would go away. Compliance will require many companies to remove and replace costly air pollution control equipment with new devices that may not be able to meet the new, stringent emissions standards.…”