Ann Marie Delivers Weekly Republican Address

Statement

his week, I had the honor of being asked to deliver the weekly Republican address. I took this opportunity to highlight Upstate New York and several issues that are extremely important to our country.

In my address, I talk about the American Dream. It's a dream that I was able to live in my own life. As the daughter of first-generation Italian immigrants, I grew up working in my father's store in Auburn, where I learned the values of hard work and earned success.

Today, our American Dream is on hold. As if we needed any further evidence, June's jobs report shows that Americans are working harder and harder and getting less and less in return. Unemployment is still high -- much higher than the 5.6% that was promised when Dan Maffei helped pass the nearly $1 Trillion stimulus.

We're also being held back by a healthcare law that doesn't lower costs or improve the quality of care. In fact, a small business owner in our district told me just this week that his healthcare costs would increase between 15-19% next year. That anecdote is backed up by a survey of small businesses by the Chamber of Commerce saying that 74% of small businesses believe Obamacare makes it more difficult to hire additional employees.

The good news is that it is not too late. Our best days are still ahead of us. But in order to realize that Dream, we must take action now.

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