[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H4150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS

  (Ms. BALDWIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, Congress just does not get it. That is 
exactly what I would be thinking if I was one of the 14,400 workers in 
my home State of Wisconsin or the 1 million workers nationwide who are 
unemployed and are about to exhaust their unemployment insurance 
benefits in 2 weeks. I cannot imagine the frustration these workers 
must feel after months of looking for jobs with little to no success, 
only to come home after a long day of looking for work to pick up a 
paper and read that the House of Representatives adjourned after 
another week of light legislative work without extending unemployment 
benefits.
  Earlier this week more than 80 employees at Riverwood International 
Corporation, a beverage carton plant in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, were 
told that they were losing their jobs. This is just one example of many 
companies in Wisconsin that have decided to close their doors for good. 
Wisconsin had the third highest number of massive layoff claims this 
past March.
  Congress should stay here and extend unemployment benefits.

                          ____________________