Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
six chambers represented here today and among us we represent ten different
communities
Highland Park, Lincolnshire, Green Oaks Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills,
North Chicago
Waukegan and then of course Lake Forest in Lake Bluff
now but I would like to do is introduced
our board president on Deborah Haddad
of Haddad law firm who will introduce our special guest.
Thank you so much welcome
it is my a sincere privilege to introduce you
this today to Brad Schneider the United States congressman
for the 10th District of Illinois. For more than 20 years congressman Schneider
has had a successful career
in business and management consulting it by saying companies both large and small
Brad has helped many family-owned businesses
address the challenges up today's economy
and plan for the future. Brad understands the impact
thriving small businesses can have
on the communities overall economy in congress
Brad is focused and strengthening the middle class
helping small businesses grow protecting the environment
and getting Washington focused and securing
opportunities for future generations
as a distinguished member of the House Committee
on foreign affairs. Brad is committed to ensuring the united states leadership
in global affairs fred has deep ties to the community.
Including service with the Jewish United Fund,
the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in business and professional people for the
public interest.
But among his most enjoyable commitments
he coached his son's soccer and baseball teams for 12 years
Brad earned a BS in Industrial Engineering
at MBA from Northwestern University.
He currently resides in Deerfield with his wife Julie
and their two sons Adam and Daniel. As Joanna mention to you, Congressman Schneider
has graciously agreed to take questions up and the conclusion
up his presentation and we would ask that you hold your questions
until the end of his remarks. Congressman Schneider
we appreciate your joining us today and look forward to your remarks
thank you.
Can you hear me?
right. I'll Deborah thank you, thank you for the nice introduction
I would tell you that the applause for being a coach that was
probably one of the most rewarding most fun thing they ever did especially
coaching soccer.
I know coaching soccer you start with the the little kids it is kinda they
everyone kinda rush is one way or the other
on and eventually as as time goes on you start game strategy and really having
the the sophistication of the game
I've been in congress I sometimes feel like I'm back at that can occur in soccer
field.
so doesn't think but the I appreciate introduction
have at for the long program arts but I'd really wanna
prefer to get the question so I'm a go off-script a bit
and them up have time for questions let me do the thank you's. I too want to thank
the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce for hosting this gathering
it's an impressive audience we have here tonight. Id' like to recognize the
individual chambers that are here. Highland Park, Lincolnshire
North Chicago, Waukegan, GLMV,
chambers for the help organizing today and really for what you do
50 events, that's one a week
with two weeks vacation this fairly impressive. 10 communities represented
here
co-hosting lunch. There a lot of reasons why I think the 10th district has much to be
proud of
the economic base is the key piece to that what you all do
is critical to that to keep our future strong in our and our future bright.
The fact that you all work together the fact that you are
advocating for the small businesses a in
in the 10th district in the area are critical so thank you
again for being here a Joanna we're joined ago
and Deborah thank you for out what you're doing
the hard work organizing this a the the
a elected officials the leaders community leaders here
thank you for being apart a all all that makes this this a great district
on Wed like to do that said this is touch a bit of what's happening
in congress the things I'm working on and get your answers
are your question so Tim we in touch on that but if we talk about what's going
on
in the in the 10th district what I'm focused on representing
the district I'm often asked what number one priority
and without a doubt to give the same answer every time its economy and job
growth
in the in the district in the country we need to have a vibrant economy
creating high-quality 21st century jobs jobs that are at the
top of the pay scale jobs that are adding value
not just whether it's adding value to products adding value and services but
adding value to our communities I think that's what
olive you here arm represent
I was mentioned in the introduction I'm on the Foreign Affairs Committee and its
especially at this time in history it's an important place to be. it's an honor
to be there
I'm also I requested to be per on the Small Business Committee
and resume on Small Business Committee I asked for this is because
too often small businesses don't have much of a voice
in congress large companies can afford large teams not even just having one
person Washington
to advocate the issues but I i oftentimes I thought about the merger of
American Airlines and US air
that together they have 55 people working in washington
hoping convey their interest but small businesses don't have those resources
so it's important to have a voice in washington who understands the
challenges you all face
wonder stands on a day-to-day basis but also a long-term basis
I what these challenges are I think having spent my career
working primarily with small businesses also large
but for sixteen years at work family businesses I i understand.
what you confront as you're trying to grow your business what you're
confronted you try to bring on people
and developing train them looking to expand into new markets are introduced
new products
to be that voice in congress i think is a special responsibility
but it's more than being the voice because people come and talk to me in in
in washington in in the district office here
is to be able to understand you have the year to know what it is that the small
businesses
are are facing every each and every day as they're trying to grow their
businesses
one of the things I did too to expand outreach is
a program I call Brad at your business when I'm home I am trying to visit as
many businesses as I can every time I'm home I Ibiza least one
we at this point have been well over 40 businesses
touring the company's understanding what they are operations how they work
understanding what their employees face with the managers face
it is something that has been an incredibly important source of
information for me to understand what drives the economy in the 10th district
but it's not just the businesses we have to community colleges here
that are on level with on par with any other community colleges around the
country
I'll tune in college Lake County the high schools in the 10th district we
have 18 high schools
10 of them are the top 100 high school top 1000 high schools
on Newsweek's list top 1000 high schools in the country
summer the programs you see a pic at the community colleges at the high school on
this comment briefly on the
are wheeling high school manufacturing lap
the lab I saw wheeling high school when I walked in was on par with
anything I got to work on in in college as an engineering student
the fact that we can give these kids the opportunity to see
and learn and develop the skills they need to go into the 21st century economy
is critical right that's why eighty per se the business is a business that we
have a hard time finding
people with the skills we need to do the jobs we have
and that's why the first bill introduced last winter was the american work sack
that works with these community colleges these educators educational institutions
and with industry to make sure that the students they produce have the skills
companies need
to fill the gaps in to allow them to grow many
jobs aren't just the job to have educational skills you get the classroom
that the skills you need a I N up to learn on the job
as the economy is slowly growing but not growing fast enough
this week I was pleased to introduce a bill called the learner
that will allow companies to bring in people
give them on the job training allow them to get the skills they need to grow
and worked in partnership with the government to do so that's why
small business being a voice being a here for small businesses in congress
I think puts me in a very distinct position and that's why might I love you
to reach out to me
doing that let me talk about cars in general
what you do we're talking at the table about the gridlock
effective out I know from my experience having own and run businesses having
worked with clients
in their own businesses your jobs managers as much as anything else
besides managing people in marshalling resources
is managing risk and you have risk love
markets risk if competitors new product Chris technology risk
all kinds a brisk that the businesses face on a day-to-day basis
what's made the american economy that engine that it has been for the last
century
I believe is the fact that we have not had historically
political risk uncertainty generated by gridlock in Washington
making it hard to make decisions here at home
that's why I think I selected to go to washington try to work through the give
gridlock in to bring some stability predictability from the
what's coming out what's coming out of washington we need look no further than
the
shutdown are still November so the shutdown last month
the estimates are that that shutdown cost $24
billion dollars to the US economy we can come up with us
a solution to the shutdown we moved the key and a little bit forward
January we cannot have another shutdown
it is reckless and irresponsible and it creates the uncertainty that makes your
job managing your business is that much more difficult
the good thing that came out of that site and was that we have a budget
conference
that sounds like something dramatic really is the way it's supposed to work
the system designed at the house passes a bill the Senate passes the bill
the two sides come together for a conference that covered should've
happened
last spring we now have
28 people 21 from the senate side seven from the house
sitting in a room hopefully working out and coming up with a compromise
though allow us know grand bargain we just need an answer for a budget this
gonna get us to the end of 2014
fiscal 2014 next next september thirtieth
so then we can start working on a budget a reasonable
responsible responsive budget
needs you all have to grow your business is looking
2015 and beyond this is that the regular or do we need to see in business
and that's why the gridlock i think is so harmful to our economy
what i'm looking for. is not just a way to address the gridlock
but to drive growth multipliers what can we do
here at home with government state
local state and federal to allow the economy to grow
I've often talked about wanting to keep things in this country
we need to invest in infrastructure we need to invest in the roads the
electrical grids
the manufacturing infrastructure allow us to expand to compete on a global
basis
the 10th district here maybe you all know that we are the third highest
concentration a manufacturing
have any district in the country let me say that again
this today includes deerfield Riley Lake Forest
waukegan Grayslake a lot of suburban communities
is the third highest concentration manufacturing and any district in the
country
I people kinda raise eyebrows when I say that's it but it's not a smokestack it's
not rust belt manufacturing
its 21st century advanced manufacturing if the manufacturing this gonna leave
this economy forward
and we have it here because we have the educational institutions the Big Ten
universities the community colleges
and high schools have already talked about but we need to continue to invest
in that manufacturing
to promote people going into manufacturing jobs as a good career
to give incentives to companies to invest in R&D
to invent products here make those products here and ship them around the
world
that's a week continue to grow our our economy in addition to manufacturing
it's about people
I talked about america work similar net week
need to continue to invest in people in their education
we need an education system in this country that make sure every kid
regardless of where they live
had the opportunity for an outstanding education I say this so much my staff
roll their eyes when it went well I'd start to repeat it again but if China
and India educate only ten percent of their kids at honors level
we'll have more honor students prepared for engineering science medical progress
the highest level careers love more honest the students
then we have kids in this country to even educated aw
we need every kid every hand on that and that's why we need to focus on quality
education in this country
so let me wrap up my my comments are just in general a
with time out from the big issues we face as I said if we're gonna grow our
economy we need to invest in our infrastructure we need to continue to
look forward
we need to believe that the best days in this country are ahead of us
we need to focus some big broad issues one is a comprehensive immigration
reform
bill every company I visited large and small says Brad
we have to get immigration effects we have to address this
around this district around this country people are looking for comprehensive
immigration reform
the Senate have passed a bill there's a bill in the house that mirrors that
with some changes on the border security that I think things are more in line
with what
is in the interests of the country right were looking for a passenger a
least the vote on that immigration bill I think the came to the fore we would
address it
we need to address health care i'd nobody is more frustrated disappointed
in the roll out at the health care
arm plans than I am it was a fumble and stumble out of the gates on October 1st
it never should have happened but I believe the goals of the Affordable Care
Act need to provide quality affordable health care to a nation to give
stability in confidence going forward
is a worthy goal we need to be working on fixing it
the things that are positive in the portable Care Act need to build upon
helping kids stay on their parents planned age 26 making sure that
pre-existing conditions are no longer a preclusion getting health insurance
we need to also address that the for the the bill as was introduced
the law that was passed in as we roll it out it's far from perfect
and that together Democrats Republicans have said at the mill the table were
talking about lunch
sit down and figure out how to make this work because if we don't address our
health care
we're spending one-and-a-half to two times more per person in this country
than other developed nations
no better health care we're not gonna be able to stay competitive
no matter how much we invest in infrastructure Noah now no matter how
much we invest in R&D
no matter how we much to invest in educating our students
we need to have a system that will provide us the for breath
to compete on a global scale were five percent in the world economy
we had the greatest universities in the world you're the greatest
engineered innovation the 20th century with the American Century
because if those factors because we invented things here
made them here and set them around the world rest the world's gonna catch up to
us
we need to continue to invest in people in technology and ideas
if we do that you continue to maintain our lead
and we'll continue to see the growth of small businesses that are ninety percent
other entities in the country
sixty-five percent in the new job created in the economy
fifty-five percent of all labor our entire labor force small companies will
leave that way
thanks so much %ah
thank you so much congressman Schneider