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It was an honor to join the Maryland Senate and the House of Delegates today for the opening of the 433rdSession of the General Assembly. Im proud that state lawmakers passed landmark legislation last session, including the DREAM Act and marriage equality, and worked with Governor OMalleys administration to support job creation, encourage greater economic development, and to strengthen education in our state. Now, in the opening of this new session, the General Assembly has the opportunity to build on the work they performed in 2012.

Thanks to their dedication and hard work, our schools have been rated best in the nation for the fifth consecutive year.

Id like to thank the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for their briefing today on their 2012 State of the Bay report. Their findings show that we have made progress in cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, but we must continue to work together to restore our local waterways.

I am encouraged by the jobs numbers for December released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, which show that our economy added 168,000 private sector jobs last month. While we continue to move in the right direction, we must remain focused on taking action to support economic growth and job creation. As the 113th Congress begins, Democrats and Republicans have an opportunity to come together to build on these gains and help more Americans get back to work.

With the swearing-in of the 113th Congress today, I look forward to continuing to represent the Fifth District of Maryland, and am hopeful that the House can refocus on the issues that matter: creating middle-class jobs, reducing deficits, and keeping Americans safe.

Im pleased the Treasury Department has decided to delay their plan to move 450 jobs to West Virginia and will keep them in Prince Georges County for an additional five years.

President Obama is correct: the time for immediate action to avert the fiscal cliff is here.

As the longest-serving female Member of Congress, Senator Barbara Mikulski has always been a trailblazer and will now make history once more as the first woman to chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. Im proud to call Senator Mikulski my colleague and friend and to serve the State of Maryland with such an outstanding advocate for its communities. I join in congratulating her on this achievement, and I look forward to working with her as she continues to serve families in Maryland and across the country in this leadership role.