[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 167 (Tuesday, November 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S14993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 1853

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I know we are going to move on to other 
legislation and I am sure we are going to hear from our leaders today 
about what the rest of the week's schedule looks like and possible 
strategy for adjournment, but I think it is critically important before 
we adjourn we address the unemployment needs of Americans. While we in 
this body last year adjourned without fully taking care of the 
unemployed and the unemployment benefit extension program, I think it 
is unconscionable we would do that this year.
  While the economy may have slightly improved, we still have huge 
unemployment across the country. For us in the State of Washington, 
with nearly 7\1/2\ percent unemployment, this problem continues.
  Unemployment benefit insurance is a stimulus. For every dollar paid 
in unemployment benefits, it generates $2.15 into the economy. This is 
what we need to be doing to take care of Americans. We cannot continue 
to give tax breaks to the wealthiest of Americans and tax incentives in 
the Energy bill and tax breaks in a lot of other programs and not take 
care of basic Americans who would rather have a job but do not have 
that opportunity and are depending on those unemployment benefits to 
make mortgage and health care payments.
  Last year we really did leave Americans with a lump of coal in their 
stocking. Instead of saying to them we are going to make sure that as 
the economy starts to recover we are taking care of you to give you 
that security, we said we are going to terminate this program. Even 
though the Senate did its homework and the House failed to pass this, 
we left many Americans without that security.
  Constituents of mine basically took money out of their long-term 
pension savings at huge penalties just to make up for the unemployment 
benefit program that would not continue. It is imperative before we 
adjourn we pass the Unemployment Benefit Program extension.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 1853, a bill to extend unemployment 
insurance benefits for displaced workers; that the Senate proceed to 
its immediate consideration, the bill be read a third time and passed 
and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. ENSIGN. Reserving the right to object, and I will object, very 
simply put, when the Democrats were in control of the House of 
Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency back in 1993, the 
unemployment rate, when they terminated the program, was 6.4 percent 
nationally. It is now 6.0 percent, lower than it was in 1993 when every 
Democrat voted to terminate the program. So with that, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.

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