Whip-Elect Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) Delivers Weekly GOP Address On Jobs And The Economy

WASHINGTON, DC – Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) talks about Republicans’ focus on jobs, the importance of hard work, and standing ready to work with the president to break the gridlock that has left dozens of House-passed jobs bills stalled in the Democratic-run Senate. Scalise, who represents Louisiana’s First District, is the incoming House Majority Whip. Video and transcript below:

Rep. Steve Scalise

Full transcript of the address follows:Good morning, I’m Steve Scalise, representative of Louisiana’s First Congressional District and incoming House Majority Whip.

I’m speaking to you from the Old House Chamber, the same room where Abraham Lincoln once served as a member of Congress.

I’m just steps from where House Republicans are working to build a stronger economy and a better future.

This is certainly a long way from Jefferson, Louisiana -- a town on the banks of the Mississippi where my wife Jennifer and I are raising our two young children.

I’d like to talk to you today about something near and dear to me, and that’s hard work.

Only in America, can a boy born in a single-room cabin in rural Kentucky work hard and become the 16th President of the United States.

And only in America, can the great-grandson of an Italian immigrant who came to the United States as an indentured servant, work hard and be elected by his colleagues to serve as the Majority Whip of the House of Representatives.

Because of my great-grandparents’ sacrifices, I was born into a middle-class family in New Orleans.

Growing up, I was taught the value of hard work.

I worked at Home Depot to pay my way through LSU, where I became the first in my family to graduate college.

From an early age, I was taught that this is just what you do – work hard, play by the rules and never give up.

It’s what’s made America the greatest country on Earth.

That’s a lesson Democrats in Washington don’t seem to understand.

They think every problem can be solved by raising taxes and borrowing money we don’t have to grow an already bloated federal government.

And where has this gotten us?

On the president’s watch, the number of Americans age 16 and over who are not working has jumped to a record 92 million.

That’s about 10 million more Americans not working than when President Obama took the oath of office.

Hard-working taxpayers know we can do better.

Because when Americans work hard, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.

Here’s an example.

If you look at the regions in the country with the lowest unemployment rates, many have energy-based economies.

I’m proud to represent one of them -- the Houma-Thibodaux area, which boasts a 3.7 percent unemployment rate.

In Southeast Louisiana, someone can graduate high-school and get an entry-level job making over $60,000 a year producing American energy.

American energy brings billions into our economy, increases our nation’s energy security, and helps lower gas prices at the pump.

The American people know energy is the best way to jumpstart our economy.

But Democrats running Washington don’t seem to get it.

They block bill after bill that would expand energy production, would lower gas prices, and create jobs.

As a matter of fact, there are nearly 300 House-passed bills collecting dust in the Senate today – more than 40 of them specifically focused on creating jobs.

These include popular bipartisan projects like the Keystone XL pipeline – something the president’s own administration says will create 40,000 jobs.

Washington Democrats have said no to legislation to rein in the size of government, no to fix our broken tax code, and no to lower health care costs…

Every time they say no – every time they pick their interests over yours – they hold our economy hostage, and with it, our chance to make sure our kids will have that same shot at the American Dream.

The president likes to say he can makes things happen with a pen and a phone.

Well, what will it be, Mr. President?

Will you put down the pen and stop trying to rewrite laws you don’t like, and instead pick up the phone and call on Senate Democrats to get to work passing those good bipartisan jobs bills?

Will you help us make real progress, or will you sit by and encourage more gridlock and more politics as usual?

It’s your call.

We stand ready to work with you to solve our nation’s problems.

In the meantime, we’ll be here in the House continuing to work hard for the American people.

Thank you for listening.

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