[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 14 (Friday, February 6, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT ACT OF 2003

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                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 4, 2004

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3030) to 
     amend the Community Service Block Grant Act to provide for 
     quality improvements.

  Ms. DeLAURO.  Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this 
amendment. Today the House must once again come together to provide 
relief to America's unemployed. Much like a year ago, the President 
says that the economy is improving, but those words are cold comfort to 
those who have not only lost their jobs but also their unemployment 
benefits in recent weeks.
  It is always the same story with this administration--the recovery is 
right around the corner. We have been hearing that now going on 3 
years. Already this month, 375,000 unemployed Americans have exhausted 
their state benefits. In my State alone, nearly 26,000 people will have 
neither a paycheck nor extended unemployment insurance benefits. That 
is the second highest number of workers who have exhausted their 
benefits on record. These folks have been left with no job or 
assistance and believe me--they are struggling to provide for their 
families this winter.
  This amendment extends unemployment benefits for workers for another 
6 months retroactively to December 20th, when Congress failed to act 
before adjournment. Of course, we learned last month that only 1,000 
new jobs had been created--despite administration estimates that said a 
quarter million new jobs would be created that month.
  Mr. Chairman, this majority acts as if unemployment benefits were 
some kind of handout--welfare for working families. But their inability 
to find work is hardly due to a lack of trying. If anything, it is due 
to the failed economic policy of this administration, which promised a 
million-and-a-half new jobs with its last round of tax cuts. That those 
jobs have not materialized seems apparent to everyone but them.
  Mr. Chairman, this amendment is the least we can do. Too many 
families were left out in the cold this holiday season due to the 
Republicans' refusal to address this issue. This amendment is not 
enough, but it is better than nothing, which until now is all this 
majority has supported.

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