On the recordApril 22, 2010
I agree with my friends on the other side of the aisle, we must create jobs. And we are working intensely to do that. My recollection is that during the Clinton administration, we created some 22 million-plus jobs. In the Obama administration we are increasing our hold on not losing jobs and increasing jobs. I hope my colleagues will join me in arguing two points: one, we must invest in the private sector, but our banking industry must invest in small businesses to allow them to hire individuals; and two, we must not lose America's teachers. That is the public sector. But who can afford to lose 300,000 teachers? We must call that an emergency and begin to work on the idea of saving the Nation's teachers. To the Nation's teachers, stand up for your job because you are standing up for the education of our children. Who can afford to lose the best and the brightest? We lose that when we begin to lay off teachers. We should end any thought about laying off America's teachers.
