BUTLER TWP — U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, joined about 50 officials from manufacturing, work force and economic development organizations Wednesday morning to discuss ways the country can become more competitive worldwide.

The meeting in Butler County Community College’s Public Safety Training Facility was part of the Butler County Manufacturing Consortium’s monthly meeting.

The first-term congressman from Butler County spoke briefly and gave a reminder that he and his office are always glad to have input from the business community.

“My role is to take Washington, D.C.’s, message back to Western Pennsylvania and take Western Pennsylvania’s voice to Washington, D.C.,” he said.

“Quite frankly, I haven’t seen anything in Washington, D.C., that I think is worth bringing home.”

Kelly said government needs businesses to be more vocal so elected officials can better understand the issues they face.

“You have people who have never done what you do making up regulations,” he said.

He said through his decades of experience owning and operating his family’s auto dealership, he understands these challenges.

“We all know what the problems are,” he said. “We don’t need to keep talking about the problems. We need to talk about what we can do to fix it.”

Kelly said his adjustment to serving in Congress has been frustrating because of how difficult it has been to get the two parties to work together.

However, he was hopeful progress might be possible when Congress returns from recess.

He also was optimistic about the opportunities the abundance of natural resources such as coal and natural gas can provide for U.S. businesses, especially those in Western Pennsylvania.

“When you look at our natural resources, nobody has what we have,” he said “And it’s as close as the ground beneath us.”

He said because the cost of energy could remain low, businesses can be more competitive globally, which would not just create more jobs, but create better-paying jobs.

Kelly also said existing international trade rules need to be enforced so businesses can thrive instead of just survive.

Like a business or a household, Kelly said the U.S. cannot continue to spend more than it brings in. He also said the U.S. cannot continue to allow other countries to hold its debt.

“This country, with what we’ve been given, to be in this situation?” he asked.

“When you give up your debt to other countries, who do you think holds your future in their hands?

“The only thing that stands between this country’s greatness and where we are right now is a bad government model, a government that spends too much of your money, regulates you too heavily, makes it so difficult,” he said.

“I’m criticizing myself right now for so many years I stayed on the sideline because I was too busy,” he said.