On September 20, 2013 Rep. Susan W. Brooks of Indiana requested permission to address the United States House of Representatives for one minute regarding the economy and jobs .
“Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the economy and jobs. The White House believes we’re moving in the right direction. But for most Americans–especially for those 4.3 million Americans who have been out of work for more than 27 weeks–that is just not good enough. Progress is not happening fast enough.”
“Sadly, our Nation’s labor participation rate now stands at 63.2 percent, the lowest rate since 1978. The news for our younger Americans is even more sobering. This year, collective student debt loans toppled $1 trillion. And a recent poll by Accenture found that 41 percent of recent college graduates were underemployed relative to their education, making paying off those student loans extremely hard”, she said.
“What can we do to speed up job creation? Well, folks from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce visited me this week and they said we must reduce uncertainty. Washington can do that by solving our fiscal challenges, reforming our regulatory system, and stopping the job-killing taxes and disincentives set up by ObamaCare. House Republicans have a clear plan to create jobs and stimulate our economy, and it’s time for our friends across the aisle to realize the status quo is just not acceptable”, said Rep. Brooks (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
Rep. Brooks currently serves on the Education and Workforce, Homeland Security and Ethics Committees. She is also the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications.