America has the hardest working, most productive, and most educated workforce in the world. Our country is successful because of our strong workforce, and that's why I am confident we will continue to have the highest standard of living in the world. Throughout my career, I have consistently fought to safeguard critical worker protections.
The ability to organize and collectively bargain for benefits was one of the most important advances in American labor law and has been a major contributor to our historically robust middle class. As the son of a union baggage handler at SeaTac airport, I understand how important labor unions are in the lives of American workers and their families, and I have consistently supported workers' rights during my time in Congress. I will continue to support legislation that protects living wage jobs, lowers health care costs, and ensures that Americans out of work have a safety net while giving them the tools they need to get back on their feet.
The world economy is changing and the United States workforce is adapting. The Federal Government must invest in making our workforce more modern by establishing retraining and education opportunities for America's working men and women. We must continue to ensure that our workers are the best educated and most highly trained in order to compete in the global marketplace. We also need to continue to provide access to living-wage jobs and ensure worker protections and benefits for all Americans.
I am committed to fighting for jobs and decreasing our country's overall unemployment. Improving access to education and updating our transportation infrastructure is a good start in creating a climate that is conducive to job growth. I am working hard in Congress to support policies that will help to get our economy back on track and create good-paying jobs here in America. I take the need for jobs creation very seriously, and I will continue to act strategically and in a fiscally sound manner as our nation continues its recovery from this most recent economic downturn. I fully understand that my job is not finished until millions of Americans are back at work.