Unemployment

Floor Speech

Mr. CASSIDY. Unemployment continues to hover over 9 percent. And when we say unemployment as 9 percent, that is a statistic. But we know that it's just not a statistic; it is a family. It is a family which is less able to provide, less able to have stability because of this unemployment rate.

Now, as it turns out, the unemployment rate is not generally distributed. It turns out it's principally among blue collar workers. Blue collar workers have traditionally been employed in manufacturing, construction, and mining. And this is one of the reasons why I, and many Republicans and many Democrats, so strongly support the Keystone XL project.

Think about it. Because they will extract that oil from the ground, creating jobs there, they are then going to build a pipeline, construction. And to build that pipeline, they have to manufacture steel. We're going to be creating jobs by this one project in the three areas that those who are now unemployed are principally employed in.

Now, this is not done with government subsidies. It does not put the taxpayer at risk. Indeed, it will generate more tax, not by increasing rates, but by increasing income, more tax receipts to help lower our Nation's deficit.

I could go on about the increase in energy security, about how the oil sands actually have a better carbon footprint than some of the oil we are now importing from Venezuela. But the bottom line is we are in a recession of 9 percent. The President has the ability to create 20,000 jobs directly and 100,000 thereafter.

I think because of this and to show the kind of across-the-aisle support for this--this pipeline is supported by the Laborers International Union of North America, the Teamsters, the AFL-CIO, the Pipeline Contractors Association, and other major unions.

Mr. President, please create 20,000 jobs directly, 100,000 jobs indirectly, a total package, targeting those people who are most unemployed now without using a government subsidy and, in fact, by increasing government tax receipts and, in so doing, increase our energy security. Please approve the Keystone XL project.

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