[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 14 (Monday, January 27, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E63-E64]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS NEED REAL BENEFITS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 27, 2003

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, the House of 
Representatives passed an extension of unemployment insurance benefits 
for almost 3 million unemployed American workers. Although I was 
supportive of a much stronger unemployment compensation extension, one 
that would have provided benefits to an additional 1 million American 
workers whose benefits have expired, this legislation is albeit a small 
step in the right direction. I am pleased that we are finally able to 
provide some comfort for those touched by this recession.
  Relief for America's working families is long-overdue. With 95,000 
workers exhausting their unemployment benefits each week, this is the 
kind of immediate assistance that we should have passed long ago.
  On December 28, 800,000 Americans lost their extended unemployment 
benefits. The Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) 
program ended on December 28 because the President and House 
Republicans rejected Democratic pleas to extend the TEUC program with a 
compromise bill that the Senate had passed unanimously.
  Initially, I was in full support of the House Democrats' 
comprehensive unemployment benefits bill introduced by Rep. Charlie 
Rangel. This Democratic bill would have reestablished and expanded the 
Federal extended unemployment benefits program. Most importantly, it 
would have guaranteed all jobless workers at least 26 weeks of extended 
benefits.
  Unfortunately, the House GOP leadership refused to allow a vote on 
this Democratic bill. Instead, they only allowed members to vote on 
their bill, which provides an extension of only

[[Page E64]]

13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits, with no extension to 
workers whose benefits have already expired.
  Unemployment is higher now than it was when Congress first passed 
extended unemployment benefits in March of last year. In my home state 
of Texas, the most recent statistics from the Texas Workforce 
Commission report that 646,939 or 6 percent of the workers in Texas are 
unemployed and in Dallas County, the figures are 98,780 workers 
unemployed, or 7.2 percent.
  Unfortunately, some members of our society have suffered much worse 
than others. After September 11, the increase in unemployment rates for 
African Americans and Latinos was more than double that for whites. 
African Americans are losing their jobs at nearly twice the national 
average. Unemployment among African Americans soared to 11.2 percent 
last year and rose to 7.9 percent for Hispanics. Yet, the GOP allowed 
the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation program to expire!
  Although we have passed this extension of unemployment benefits, our 
work is far from done. We will need to provide meaningful assistance to 
workers by passing health care relief for those who have lost their 
coverage along with their jobs. I also renew my call to provide 
immediate tax relief by exempting unemployment compensation from 
Federal taxes. These are the kinds of real benefits that we owe 
American families.

                          ____________________