Spencer Cox: “I am very, very pleased that we are here commending America's businesses and, more specifically, American business men…”

“I am very, very pleased that we are here commending America's businesses and, more specifically, American business men and women for what they have done in their places of work to help support our war effort in the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and the war against terror, because, frankly, the war against terror has placed an enormous burden on our economy. According to the United States Chamber of Commerce, fear of terrorism since September 11, fear of the war in Iraq and now a mysterious respiratory disease called SARS have disrupted both business and leisure travel to the extent that half of all jobs lost since September 11 have been in the travel and tourism industry. One out of every seven people in the U.S. private sector workforce--or 18 million people--are employed directly or indirectly in travel and tourism jobs. This industry is a big industry. It is a $100 billion industry, not in revenue, not in assets, but in taxes paid to Federal, State and local governments. Losing so many jobs in this industry is obviously a victory for the terrorists, but it is a victory that will be short-lived.”