BRADY BRIEFING: The Economy Continues to Smash Expectations
The Brady Briefing is a regular feature of USA Daily Times.
By U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX)
The November Jobs report is out, and the U.S. economy continues to smash expectations. 266,000 jobs were added in November, and the unemployment rate remains at a 50-year low. Plus, the amount of jobs created in September and October were revised upward by 41,000. This is all part of the positive economic trend we’ve seen since the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Despite the struggling global economy, the U.S. labor market is stronger than ever.
Since President Trump took office, the economy has added over seven million jobs – five million more than the Congressional Budget Office originally predicted. Wages for blue-collar workers are rising, and there are more job openings in our country than there are people looking for work.
Bottom line, we have to keep this momentum going. But, we can only continue to do so if we pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). Congress has been distracted by partisan, political agendas and the sham impeachment inquiry, meaning the Democrat party has pushed USMCA to the sidelines.
No longer.
On Thursday, members of the Texas delegation from both parties joined me in front of the U.S. Capitol building to discuss why trade with Mexico and Canada is crucial for our state, and to call for the immediate passage of USMCA. No state does trade like Texas; nearly a million Texas workers in key industries like energy, manufacturing and agriculture are dependent on trade. Passing USMCA is good for job growth, it’s good for small businesses, and it’s good for the United States of America.
We must pass USMCA now, because every day we delay is a loss for Texas. This agreement has strong bipartisan support, and the Ways and Means Committee has the time and schedule to get this agreement to the floor before the end of the year. At the end of the day, this is not a win for Republicans – it’s a win for America.
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Last week, the United States hit a major energy milestone – for the first time in more than 70 years, we are a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products.
This is no small accomplishment. American energy dominance has kept prices low for everyday Texans, provides countless economic benefits to the Houston region, and ultimately strengthens our nation’s security on the world stage.
This incredible boom is thanks to American energy innovation, like the revolutionary commercialization of hydraulic fracking. It’s also thanks to game changing legislation like the lift on the oil export ban – a negotiation I was proud to lead as Chairman of Ways and Means. Strong conservative leadership and American innovation have enabled us to compete on a global scale, and I will continue to promote policies that support American energy dominance.
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I proudly voted for the TRACED Act, which passed the House last week. This bill will strengthen law enforcement’s ability to go after spam callers and will provide the American people updated technology to successfully bock robocalls – at no additional cost to consumers.
Kevin Brady is the ranking Republican of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. This column is a regular feature of USA Daily Times.