[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 8, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H63-H64]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ON EXTENSION OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

  (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I say good morning to our fellow Americans 
and

[[Page H64]]

to the public who are watching us as we begin to draw our attention now 
to something that has been ailing our economy, and that is a discussion 
of unemployment. It is about time, Members, that we start addressing 
this issue. When we left this House almost a month ago, we forgot about 
the 800,000 workers that right after Christmas were given a Christmas 
gift: they were given no unemployment insurance. Their families are 
suffering. We are here today now to talk about what we can do to 
improve upon that.
  In the State that I represent, one of the largest, California, we saw 
well over 1.3 million people out of work. This recession that hit our 
area began in March of 2001. We need to help all workers, especially 
families.
  This past month, I had the opportunity to visit several of our 
shelters and food pantries and saw something that was very surprising, 
children now, small children, 3 and 2 years old and infants, women that 
just lost their jobs that have no place to go and no food. They are not 
asking for just a handout. They are asking for jobs. They are asking 
for also a replenishment of their unemployment insurance. We have a 
chance now to extend that to 26 weeks.
  Let us support the Democratic alternative. I plan to do that today.

                          ____________________