On the recordMay 18, 2016
This morning, I want to discuss the issue of security with my colleagues--economic security, retirement security, and national security--three issues that probably right now in my conversations with constituents is what we hear the most about. Let's look at the picture of economic security, or the lack thereof, that exists in our country and in our communities. What I hear from my constituents is that the 5 percent unemployment rate is indeed misleading because over 90 million Americans have dropped out of the workforce. They are losing hope and are unemployed. The Obama malaise, as I have constituents who like to term it, has created a workforce participation rate of 62.8 percent. Now, I want you to think about that. Of the eligible adults who are ready for the workforce, 62.8 percent have a job and are able to work. That is the worst level since the Carter administration. Our GDP is declining. Our economy grew at only half of a percent-- half of a percent in the first quarter of 2016. That is lower than a 1.4 percent expansion in the previous period, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. President Obama had a chance to create 40,000 jobs, and he took a pass on it. He vetoed the Keystone pipeline so that he could cement his legacy and stature as a liberal icon. The American people are tired of being broke; they are tired of work permits that go to illegal aliens; and they are tired of $19.2 trillion in Federal debt.…
