[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 23 (Wednesday, March 6, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CALLING FOR AN EXTENSION OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, it may be great comfort to the unemployed 
in this country to know that we have gathered here in the House of 
Representatives today to debate whether or not there should be a 
mourning dove hunting season.
  The Speaker made us very comfortable back in September saying we 
would do something about the unemployed. We have not done anything 
since then about it that can get through both the House and the Senate. 
The Senate sent over a clean unemployment bill that should be brought 
to the floor and sent back to the Senate and become law.
  Since September, 1.3 million Americans have exhausted their benefits. 
In January alone, 356,000 people exhausted their benefits, the single 
largest loss of benefits in almost 10 years.
  Why is it that you have to bring a bill out here today with another 
poison pill tied to it? There are 222 press secretaries right now in 
those Republican offices with their thumb right over the send button to 
send out the press release that we have done something about 
unemployment. You know it will die in the Senate because you designed 
it to die in the Senate. I do not think that is fair, and I think that 
we ought to bring the Senate bill out here and pass it with no 
problems.

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