[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 27 (Tuesday, March 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ECONOMIC SECURITY AND RECOVERY ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. HILDA L. SOLIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 2002

  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, it has been six months since the September 
11th attacks. During that time, millions of working people in the 
United States have lost their jobs. Even before the attacks, our 
economy was slowing down and unemployment was on the rise. House 
leaders responded to the economic downturn with calls for deeper tax 
cuts for the wealthy and tax breaks for businesses. Congress even 
enacted a measure to bail out the airline industry. However, it 
continued to ignore the very individuals who need the assistance the 
most: the unemployed. With the consideration of H.R. 3090, the Job 
Creation and Worker Assistance Act, I am pleased that the House is 
finally voting on a bill that will truly help workers.
  The 13-week extension of unemployment benefits provided in this 
legislation will bring much needed relief to the many displaced workers 
across the country whose benefits are near exhaustion. It will be 
particularly helpful in my district, where unemployment in some cities 
is well above the national rate of 5.5%. In South El Monte alone, for 
example, the unemployment rate is 10.3%. It is time that we help people 
in this city and others across the country as they struggle to make 
ends meet during these difficult times. It is the very least that we 
can do for them.
  While I support this measure, I am disappointed that it does not 
include additional benefits for unemployed individuals. Compensation 
for unemployed part-time and low-wage workers and health insurance for 
displaced workers are among the benefits that should have been included 
in this economic stimulus bill. Also, my proposal to provide an 
immediate one-time payroll tax rebate up to $300 to lower income 
working individuals should have been included. Working families need 
all the help they can get and unemployment benefits are sometimes 
insufficient to meet the day-to-day necessities. Inclusion of the above 
proposals would have strengthened the economic security of millions of 
unemployed workers until they found jobs. As the House continues to 
monitor the economy and its impact on working families, I urge it to 
consider these important proposals.
  Although this legislation does not reach its full potential as a true 
worker assistance measure, it is a step in the right direction and will 
be enormously helpful to many hard working individuals and their 
families. In this regard, I support it and urge its passage.

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