[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 79 (Monday, June 2, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1091]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AMENDMENTS OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2003

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule.
  I cannot believe the Majority will not even let us debate who should 
be allowed to receive an extension of unemployment insurance.
  The extension that we will be allowed to vote on, provided this rule 
stands, will provide twenty six weeks of assistance to those few states 
that have exceeded an unemployment threshold of six percent. The 
unemployed workers in those six states receive the needed benefits, 
while those in other states receive only half of the extension. This 
bill ignores that specific areas have suffered high unemployment, but 
whose overall state unemployment rate has not exceeded the threshold.
  In Boulder, which has a number of high-tech companies that have 
either closed up shop or laid off workers, I have seen a job loss rate 
exceeding sixteen percent between January of 2001 to January of 2003, 
this according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This has resulted in 
a substantial increase in unemployment, and considering the state of 
our economy, this trend doesn't seem like it will change soon. In fact, 
the average monthly claims for unemployment averaged a little over 
sixtyfive hundred claims per month in 2001, by the end of 2002 that 
number had jumped to over eleven thousand three hundred. But since 
Colorado's unemployment level has been just below six percent these 
workers will be in trouble if they can't find a job within the allotted 
thirteen weeks, if this bill passes.
  This isn't just a problem in Colorado. This is a national problem and 
we need to treat it as such.
  But the Majority has created a rule that will not allow us to even 
consider amendments that would help those Americans who are struggling 
and cannot find employment.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to vote no on the rule.

                          ____________________