Americans Are Seeing Results
‘This week, we’re discussing the difference between rhetoric and results when it comes to our economy. Yesterday, I described how my Democratic friends spent the Obama years talking about the importance of rebuilding American manufacturing. They talked about it. But it’s the actions of this united Republican government that have made it easier for manufacturers to expand and hire.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the benefits Americans continue to see from the Republican pro-opportunity, pro-worker agenda:
“This week, we’re discussing the difference between rhetoric and results when it comes to our economy. Yesterday, I described how my Democratic friends spent the Obama years talking about the importance of rebuilding American manufacturing. They talked about it. But it’s the actions of this united Republican government that have made it easier for manufacturers to expand and hire. It’s on our watch that optimism among U.S. manufacturers has hit the highest level one survey has ever recorded.
“Well, it turns out there are quite a few areas where this Republican government is helping to deliver victories that our Democratic friends spent eight years talking about. In his 2010 State of the Union, President Obama proclaimed that job growth would be the number one focus of the coming year. He said ‘the true engine of job creation in this country will always be America’s businesses,’ and that government’s role was to ‘create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers.’
“Recognizing American job creators as the true engines of prosperity? Giving them room to succeed? Sounds good to me. Sounded good to almost everyone. But once again, the policies didn’t match the rhetoric. Instead, the Obama administration twice set all-time records for the number of pages in the Federal Register. And those pages had consequences. By constantly moving the regulatory goalposts, government eroded the certainty businesses need to invest and hire.
“Washington D.C. restricted farmers’ and ranchers’ control over water on their own property. Bureaucrats overwhelmed small banks and credit unions with a rulebook designed for Wall Street. And an outdated federal tax code held back job creation and made America less competitive. On Democrats’ watch, Americans had to wait out an economic ‘recovery’ that was insufficient, slow, and left whole parts of the country behind.
“Remember the rhetoric. And then remember the facts. Republicans have always agreed that job creation must be a top priority. But we have a better idea about how to actually help make it happen. This Republican Congress has used the Congressional Review Act to slash seventeen burdensome regulations. That’s on top of the administration’s executive actions. We’ve passed, and the president has signed, major changes to Obamacare and Dodd-Frank. And we passed generational tax reform that puts more hard-earned money in the pockets of working families and gives job creators more flexibility.
“So what’s happening on our watch? Just a few days ago, the number of Americans newly filing for unemployment benefits hit its lowest level in more than 48 years. Here’s how CNN characterized the Labor Department’s most recent jobs report: ‘The U.S. economy keeps adding jobs at a blistering pace… The job market is so good, many people who had previously given up looking are starting again.’ And according to Gallup, the percentage of Americans saying now is a good time to find a quality job hit its highest level in seventeen years of records.
“Not just rhetoric. Results. Due to the hard work of American workers and job creators, with an assist from this Republican government. Unfortunately, this pro-growth agenda hasn’t gotten much support from across the aisle. Not a single Democrat -- not one -- voted for the tax reform that has helped turn rhetoric about jobs into actual jobs. Hardly any Democratic support for the regulatory housecleaning that’s given job creators more confidence to stay on American soil, grow their businesses, and add jobs. All of us agree with the rhetoric. But not everyone supported the policy agenda that’s helped deliver these results for the American people.”
Related Issues: Jobs, Economy, Tax Reform, Taxes
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