Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, solving this Nation's crushing unemployment problem has been my focus since the people of eastern and southeastern Ohio sent me to Washington to start the process of change.

Today I rise to outline five specific actions we must accomplish to create economic certainty, give job creators the confidence they need to begin hiring again, and make American companies more competitive both here at home and globally.

They are: require the Federal Government to balance its budget annually; scrap the current Federal Tax Code and implement a flatter, fairer tax code; eliminate all pending Federal regulations not directly tied to public health or national security; establish a clear national energy policy; and repeal the President's health care law.

Now, I've discussed all of this with countless residents of eastern and southeastern Ohio, and they all like what they hear. But the popularity of this agenda has little to do with me. These ideas are rooted in the American dream, and they can boost America's economy and lead to real job creation.

If this administration wants to help us, we can start creating the jobs Ohio and America needs.