Countrys leadership at least, under the president , will wake up. Stop hurting the freedomloving egyptians that dont want the radical islamists support in egypt, back in charge of egypt. Dont help isis in syria. Dont help them in iraq. And if he had just signed the status of forces agreement that president bush had all but ready to sign, getting cute with that, so it fell apart, then we wouldnt be having all these problems today in iraq and syria hat we are. Hes getting horrible advice and its time for the to the take a hard look at who he really gets advice from, because the moderate muslims in the world dont want radical islam taking over and they dont, as theyve told me privately, like the people that this president has advising him. So, the economy is ready to take off if this president will get out of the way. And people can make money an get back to where one job is enough for a person to make it and do well and cut down on the massive expenses obamacare is causing. We can get rid of that and get back to Real Health Care reform. Fetch you save 100 or 200 a month that would get you a vacation people have not gotten this year. Theres so much we can do for america, if the government of this country, the people at the top of the quovet top of the government will just finally realize, the American People have more answers than we do and then theyll show us. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. Under the speakers announced policy of january 3, 2013, the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Cardenas, for 30 minutes. Mr. Cardenas thank you very much, mr. Speaker. Today, america, mr. Speaker, i want to talk about the United States economy. I want to talk about the number one thing that politicians talk about when they ask you to support them. When theyre on the campaign trail. And that is, we want to put america to work. I know what its like to put america to work because im very proud to say that before i got elected to office, my fulltime job was to put americans to work. I owned a business. And there were dozens of families who depended on me as the leader of that business, as the owner of that business, to make sure we were successful. So i had to do my job so that dozens of people could go to work and do their job. And millions of americans every two years go to the polls and hope and pray and think and expect that theyre electing people who are going to focus on putting america to work. But unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, the leadership of this house under Speaker John Boehner has been delinquent in doing one simple thing and that is to focus on bills that create jobs. In some cases its bills that move government out of the way to make sure that people can put people to work in private industry. In some cases, its about changing laws that are broken and old and just dont work for todays economy and changing those laws to make sure that americans can go to work. Democrats have made jump starting our economy a priority. And i believe in that priority and since i have been elected to congress, i have been fighting on that priority. To try to get bills heard in our committees that will create jobs, that will move america forward, that will move americans who are hardpressed and want to get off the unemployment lines back into work, get through committee and eventually on the floor of this house, so we can have a debate and cast our votes for america. But unfortunately, those bills just languish, sitting somewhere in the corner, and dont see the ight of day. For example, the biggest bill to ever pass either of our houses of congress or the United States 113th congressis has come into session was a bill that was passed by the United States senate and it had bipartisan support. There were 100 United States there are 100 United States senators, ladies and gentlemen. And 68 democrats and republicans voted aye, voted yes, voted affirmatively for that bill. You see, because that bill, if this house would have taken up that bill or if this house would have taken up h. R. 15, a bill that looks just like it, that would have boosted our economy. Ladies and gentlemen, you hear people all the time right now on the campaign trail saying reelect me or elect me and theyre talking about the economy, theyre talking about deficit reduction. An hat one bill has analysis, third party analysis, not analyzed by the democrats, not analyzed by the republicans, not even analyzed by the independents, analyzed by a third party that thats their job, just to call it like it is. That bill, if passed by congress and put thope president s desk, would give us an opportunity to have a deficit reduction of at least 900 billion. But that bill doesnt see the light of day, not in this house. That bill has not been taken up in this house and Speaker John Boehner has said over and over, im not going to take up that bill. Im not going to take up that issue. Im not going to support the american economy. Not with that bill. Im not going to do the right thing by america. And give the economy of the United States of america the biggest boost we could ever see coming out of the actions of the United States senate and this house of congress. Its been sitting here in this house in the corner, collecting dust. While too Many Americans are having their unemployment run out. While too Many Americans are losing their homes. While too Many Americans are telling their children, im sorry, son, we cant afford to continue to send you to college. We dont have any money because we dont have a job. The United States economy can do better. But unfortunately, its because this congress chooses not to do the right thing, the United States economy moves along. Slowly. Picking up just a little bit. Thats not good enough. Thats not right. What im doing here at this moment tonight, the reason why i came to this floor, the reason i asked the speaker, can you give me some time to speak on an important issue, the economy of the United States of america, is because it tears me apart. To know that the lack of leadership in this house and the lack of leadership of Speaker Boehner is crippling our economy. 900 billion of deficit reduction. Wrapped up in one bill. And that bill has sat in this house and has not heard a debate in any committee. It has not heard a debate on the floor of this house. The people that you all elect have had not had an opportunity, 435 members of the United States congress have not had an opportunity to stake a claim on whether or not they believe that we ought to put americans to work. That we ought to get out of the way and fix a law that is broken. A law that does not work. A law that should have been changed a long time ago. But we can change it at any moment on any given day in this house and this speaker refuses to allow that to happen. You see whats going on in this United States congress, is like whats going on in your home or sometimes in a workplace. Lets say you have a family and everybody in the family has been assigned their chores, their responsibilities, say you have a workplace where everybody has their job duties and their itles. In the United States congress, we have our chores, our responsibilities, our job is to pass laws to help america move forward. To make sure that all the different dynamics of the number one economy in the world can flourish. Hats our job. But the United States congress, this house, has refused to do its job. Whats going on is, its just like that example i just gave you. Say in your home, one member of your family chooses not to do their part. You know what happens . Something good eventually happens, somebody in that house, somebody in that home, somebody in that workplace sees that that job is not getting done, even if its not their primary responsibility, they think of the bigger picture, they think of the whole family, the whole house, the whole home, that person in the workplace thinks of the whole bd body of workers there and says you know what, somebody ought to take that job and get it done even though so and so isnt doing their part and thats their job. Congress is not doing its job. Its not passing this law. But you know what happens eventually . Somebody walks over there, they do it themselves. Even though its not their primary responsibility. But we ought to be grateful that there are people like that in every community, in every household new york every business, in every work environment. But not in this house. Not as long as john boehner, our speaker, chooses not to allow us to have a debate to do our job, to have a vote. Maybe a maybe it passes, maybe it fails, but our job as members of congress is to legislate. Put ideas, good, bad, and otherwise, before the members of this house and vote up or down, yay or nay, yes or no. To move america forward. And let the votes fall where they may. Theres a bill thats been languishing in this house for over a year and a half, or close to a year and a half, and the bottom line is, we have not taken up our duties and our responsibilities. So as a result of that, as a result of that, theres another branch of government. And that person, one person, not 435, not 100, uh one person says you know not 100, but one person, says you know what, i want to move america forward. I want to fix a broken system. I Want Congress to put this on my desk so i can do my job and sign it. And watch people americans go back to work. And all of a sudden the one person who says, since you wont do your job, ill go over there and to the best of my ability, to the extent that i legally can, ill do as much as i can, lift as much as i can, do the heavy lifting because congress wont. And he gets criticized. Thats a shame, ladies and gentlemen. Hats a shame. When in the workplace, somebody decides to step over and say since you wont do it and its the right thing to do, im going to do it, and then they criticize that person. Hes the bad guy. No. No. No, ladies and gentlemen. The bad guy, the bad person is the one that says, i know i have duties, i know i have responsibilities, i just dont want to do it. Because i can say i dont want to. And if i dont want to, it doesnt get done. At least not in this house. Thats whats going on in this house, ladies and gentlemen. United States Congress is sitting on a bill that will supercharge the economy of the United States of america to the tune of deficit reduction of as much as 900 billion with one ill, one vote of this house. And our current speaker, the republican leader, does not want o let that happen. The president of the United States is another branch of government. The president of the United States is part of that balance of power. But when one branch of government is delinquent and deer electricity in their duties, there is a time when that person has to say, hey, what can i do . I want to step up. I want to put america to work. And as a result of that, has to take action. W, to me, that is a duty bestowed upon every single one of us elected officials. And im so disappointed that i got elected to a congress that has been labeled as a donothing congress. I got elected to a congress that the statistics, not just opinions, but the facts show that this congress has passed so few laws, that people can actually legitimately say that we are a donothing congress. That is a shame. We have responsibilities to this country when we act responsibly. We make our country what it is, the best country on the planet. And when that happens, the whole world is a better place. But thats not been this 113th congress, not under this speaker. Not now. But the most important thing that i want to get across today, that could change. That could change tomorrow morning. We could have that bill on the floor of this congress tomorrow. We could have it on this floor next week. What can unleash americans go to vote for, and that is action. Let the votes fall where they may, ladies and gentlemen. Our duty as congress is to hear bills on this floor, have debate from the left and right and center, come one, come all, members of congress, and then the speaker says, open the roll. And there go the votes. Reen ones, red ones, yay, nay, but just on that one bill, ladies and gentlemen, more americans would go to work as a result of one piece of legislation than any other thing that this congress has been poised to do in this 113th congress. So right now, as the clock ticks, as Congress Might adjourn in just a couple of weeks or so, this will be left to another branch of government to decide to move this economy forward to put americans to work. Thats a shame. Thats not the way it should be. Thats not the way it was designed to be. But the constitution of the United States, you have all heard it, everybody has taken government classes, its called the balance of power, executive branch, judicial branch, the legislative branch, but when one of those branches is deer electricity in their duties as this house has been deer electricity in their duty to put derelict in work their duties to put americans to work, it takes a brave american to step up and say ill do it. To be careful about how its done, to be doing it in a way thats legal and does follow the constitution of the United States of america. But more importantly, ladies and entlemen, to get the job done. To put america to work. To break a broken system. To break a set of laws and renew that into a law into action that will actually put america to work and allow us to continue to be the great nation that weve become. But unfortunately, theres a piece of government, this house, thats not living up to that greatness or its responsibilities, not living up to its duties, this house, this donothing congress. When i say donothing congress, that is so painful to me. Im the son of parents who used to wake me up sometimes before the son came up to go to work in my fathers business. And what my father used to tell me, i was five, six years old when i was working with him. He would say, the works not done. We have to keep working. Sometimes so much that my hands would bleed. And i would put on my best crying game and i would say, look, my hands are bleeding, can i sit in the truck . We used to clean fields and clear out houses, whatever odd jobs people had for us. Would take me to work with him. And i remember the first time, i thought i was going to be able to sit it out and not do my part, because my hands were pleading. Blisters busted and turned into blood. I showed them to my dad and tried to give him my best somebody story and he said son, the works not done. We have to get back to work. H, i hated him for it. Thats a leader. Someone who can look someone in you need to be what you need to be right now. And thats someone who gets the job done, not someone who looks for excuses, not someone hotels stories, not someone who tries to get off the hook. U need to be the person that gets the job done. Ladies and gentlemen, mr. , this house is not the. Use that gets the job done it hurts for me to say that. I hate saying it. But sometimes the truth hurts. Thats not my opinion, ladies and gentlemen. Im just restating the fact. I hated my father when he taught e that lesson. But it wasnt until i grew up and it wasnt until i had to put food on the table for my family, it wasnt until i grew up and i my own business that realized that its not about the easy way out. Its not about quitting. Its not about being derelict in your duties. Its about accepting your responsibility, acting out on those responsibilities, working through your responsibilities, not making up stories. Not Holding Press Conferences and hoodwinking the American Public into thinking that it cant be done. No. No. No, ladies and gentlemen, we can take care of business on this floor from today into tomorrow and get a bill to the other house or take a bill from the senate, take it through this house and get it to the president overnight. So any time some congressman or u. S. Senator tells you, no. No. No, there is not enough time. At least there is one day left of legislation, mat arer of fact, they have the authority to call back the members and say we can get it done tomorrow. Call every member of congress, call every member of the United States senate and say weve got work to do. Theres no time off for us. Theres no tim time away from these chambers, we are going to get the work done. But this house chooses not to do its job. Some people might think, well, this congress this congressman is talking a little strong about this house. You Better Believe it. Were the congress of the United States of america. There have been moments in this house where we have been applauded by america for the kind of bravery and the kind of work that gets done in this house. That hasnt happened much lately. Not in the 113th congress. One bill, ladies and gentlemen, one bill has been sitting in this house languishing, collecting dust, while millions of americans are out of work. Thats a shame. Thats a shame. I wish there were more members of this congress, like my father , who knew how to get the job done, who knew how to focus on the people that depended on him. Who had a dontquit attitude. My father was a man of few words. Few words. But when he spoke, he was rious, he was for forthright and got the job done. He had the guts, he had the fortitude, he had the character to know that sometimes, sometimes when it meant him getting the job done, maybe he wasnt going to be too popular, even with his own son. To be the , so proud , maria man and a woman cardenas, who taught me how to go to work every day and whatever my duties and responsibilities were, it wasnt about me, but it was about the work and committed to get it done. Every week i leave my family in my district and i kiss them goodbye and i hope and pray they put me to work, that i get to do t