[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 1845-1846] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNIZING HONDA'S MANUFACTURING COMMITMENT TO THE UNITED STATES ______ HON. JIM JORDAN of ohio in the house of representatives Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the extraordinary commitments made by Honda over the last three decades to create jobs and expand its solid manufacturing base in Ohio and throughout the nation. In 1979, Honda opened manufacturing operations in the United States with small-scale production of dirt bikes in Marysville, Ohio. From that initial footprint, Honda has grown into one of our nation's most important job creators, with nine manufacturing and thirteen research and development facilities located across the nation. Honda directly employs roughly 27,000 Americans--15,000 in my home state alone. With so much focus on jobs moving overseas, Madam Speaker, it is often too easy to overlook the value and importance of direct foreign investment in this nation. The more than $12 billion invested by Honda in the [[Page 1846]] United States--with $7 billion of that invested in Ohio alone--supports not only those 27,000 employees but also more than 340,000 others employed at Honda suppliers, dealers, and servicers nationwide. Honda was the first Asian automaker to build products in the U.S., recognizing the value of siting manufacturing plants in sales markets. Since 1996, three in four Honda and Acura automobiles sold in this country have been manufactured in North America. The company's total U.S. auto production reached one million in 2007--with 700,000 produced at Ohio's Honda plants. Three communities in my district are home to major Honda facilities. More than 2,750 are employed in Anna, which produces engines, driveshafts, and brake components. The transmission manufacturing facility in Russells Point employs an additional 1,050. The 2,500 workers at the plant in East Liberty assemble the Crosstour, CR-V, and Element. Thousands more in my district work at the dozens of companies of all sizes that provide parts to these facilities. Madam Speaker, direct foreign investments in the U.S. put more Americans to work and strengthen our manufacturing base. Especially in these tough economic times, I am proud of the strong role that Honda plays in the U.S. and Ohio. I applaud everyone at the company on its distinguished record of manufacturing quality, corporate citizenship, and job creation over the last 30 years. ____________________