Economy and Jobs

"This shortsighted and destructive legislation is further evidence of how good job-creating public policy has fallen to radical partisanship indifferent to pollution and the clean technology investments that will determine America's standing in the coming century," said Congressman Garamendi. "As we move toward reducing the deficit, we must not slash those programs that save lives and money and create jobs."

"Here we have what was once a bipartisan energy standard that is creating thousands of jobs and is expected to save American consumers more than $12.5 billion every year, and the radicalized Republican majority wants to turn off the lights,” Garamendi said. “This is not a bright idea. If you think the puns about this legislation are bad, the bill is much worse."

"Ostriches are supposed to stick their heads in the sand; responsible lawmakers are supposed to help their country compete in a tough global economy. Vital game-changing energy research should be above politics, but today, the Republican majority’s pattern of actively dismantling anything that hints at American-made clean technology continued," said Garamendi, who as a state legislator in the 1970s authored the first alternative energy tax credit in America. "We need to Make It In America, especially advanced clean energy, but we won’t get there without basic building block research first. Today, a majority of Members in Congress failed the American people."

"It's no secret that there are too many Americans out of work -- and that one of the reasons has been the exodus of American manufacturing overseas," said BART Director Joel Keller (District 2--Contra Costa). "This has made it difficult for transit systems like BART to purchase American-made vehicles and other products that support job creation in the US. The BART Board supports "Make It In America" goals because we should not only be providing reliable public transit service to Bay Area riders, but also assisting in creating jobs by encouraging more opportunities for greater American manufacturing. H.R. 613 (Garamendi) will help us get there."

"I’m a battle-tested veteran of the California water wars, and I’d frankly prefer to talk about past battles than wade into this hornet’s nest again, but I’ll be damned if I let anybody destroy the Delta," Garamendi said. "This legislation threatens the Delta, jeopardizes drinking water for California cities, and puts the interests of a select well-connected few above the entire state."

"Elizabeth Warren has had the temerity to fight back on behalf of consumers, and for this, she's become a target. She is eminently qualified to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and she's been instrumental in getting the Bureau up and running. For the sake of every American who has ever been ripped off by a financial institution, it's time for the President to appoint Warren to the Director's post."

"Our CODEL to Afghanistan solidified my belief that there is no military victory in Afghanistan. Whether we stay in that country a year or a century, the ultimate solution will be a political settlement with a power-sharing arrangement between the central government in Kabul and powerful governors and tribal leaders throughout the country," added Congressman Garamendi. "Afghanistan has a long tradition of feudalism, and America cannot continue spending our precious blood and treasure in a futile exercise in nation-building by force. When a power sharing agreement is reached, we can work with our international partners – within and outside governments – to plan a long term path toward infrastructure construction, secular education, economic development, and with time, a more representative government. But we’re not going to get there until most of our troops get out."

"My amendment would have created good local jobs by forcing the Defense Department to more actively engage local businesses. While I regret this amendment was not incorporated in this year's NDAA, I look forward to working with Congress and the military to continue addressing this problem."