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[Pages H5307-H5308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING PARK AND RECREATION MONTH
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize
July as Park and Recreation Month. It is a fitting time to celebrate
our Federal, State, and local parks and recreation systems because so
many Americans will visit them this summer.
As a lifelong resident of rural Pennsylvania, an avid outdoorsman,
and spending time in my career as a recreational therapist, I strongly
support our Nation's parks and recreation facilities.
Our parks provide countless recreational and educational
opportunities for individuals and families to enjoy the outdoors. This
month recognizes the important role these parks and public facilities
play in the lives of Americans and the contributions of employees who
work every day to maintain public parks across the Nation.
Our parks create opportunities for people to come together and
experience a sense of community. They contribute to local economies by
attracting businesses and jobs and increasing housing values.
In the United States, public park operations and capital spending
generate nearly $140 million in economic activity annually, and our
National Park System receives an estimated 331 million recreation
visits every year.
Ninety percent of people in the United States agree that public park
recreation facilities and activities are important government services.
This support spans across all people in the country regardless of race,
income, or political affiliation. Nearly 75 percent of Americans agree
it is important to ensure all members of their community have equitable
access to public parks and recreation facilities.
The most economically sound areas are those with ample public park
and recreation facilities and activities. A key factor in business
expansion and location decisions is quality of life for employees, with
a premium placed on adequate and accessible public parks and open
space.
Mr. Speaker, public parks and recreational facilities foster a
variety of activities that contribute to a healthier society. Americans
living within a 10-minute walk of a park have higher levels of physical
activity and lower rates of obesity. People who use public parks and
open spaces are three times more likely to achieve the recommended
levels of physical activity than nonusers.
Recreational programs at public parks provide children with a safe
place to play, access to healthy foods, opportunities to be physically
active, and enrichment facilities that help prevent at-risk behavior
such as drug use and gang involvement.
As we head further into summer, many Americans will visit public
parks and recreation facilities to spend time outdoors with family,
friends, and neighbors. We are blessed with beautiful outdoor
facilities, and it is my hope that all Americans get out and enjoy the
parks in their areas.
Minimum Wage Kills Jobs
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I rise to
address a bill that my friends across the aisle, the Democrats, are
going to bring to the floor next week raising the minimum wage to $15
an hour.
There was a score this week by the Congressional Budget Office that
sheds truth and light on that proposal and what it does, and this
government source has indicated it kills jobs. It harms Americans who
are today struggling to make ends meet. The average family income will
be reduced as a result of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, it is estimated by the CBO, the Congressional Budget
Office, that 3.7 million jobs will be lost and that 42 percent of
families who are currently at the minimum wage will see a net reduction
in their family income, taking many of them, maybe for the first time,
down into a poverty level of income.
There is a better way, Mr. Speaker. In the past, this body passed the
Career and Technical Education Reauthorization bill, the Perkins Act. I
was proud to work with Mr. Krishnamoorthi from Illinois on that bill as
we led it. President Trump signed that into law last July.
[[Page H5308]]
We are seeing this bill restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity. A
significant number of jobs--6 million jobs--are open and available
today at family-sustaining wages.
There is a pathway out of minimum wage. Minimum wage should be a
starting point. To me, it is not where you start in life, but it is
where you end up. We have provided the tools to provide individuals
better access to the type of skills-based education to improve their
lot in life and to achieve higher wages and greater opportunity, which
is what this country promises.
We work hard; we take risk; and we better ourselves
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