[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4474-S4475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              THE ECONOMY

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, economic anxiety is pervasive among the 
middle class in my State of Ohio and throughout our great country, and 
there is good reason for that. The average duration of unemployment--
17.5 weeks--is longer than at the start of the two previous recessions. 
In 2001, it took the average unemployed worker about 12.5 weeks to find 
work. In 1990, it took the average unemployed worker almost 12 weeks to 
find work. The average duration of unemployment now is about 17.5 
weeks.
  In fact, long-term unemployment is higher now than it has been at any 
other time since Congress first extended unemployment benefits, since 
1980. The share of workers suffering long-term unemployment, meaning 
those who remain jobless after their first 6 months of benefits run 
out--so if their benefits run out after 6 months, that defines long-
term unemployment by the Government--the share of those workers is 
nearly 17 percent higher than the 11 percent at the start of the 2001 
recession and higher than the 9.8 percent at the start of the 1990 
recession.
  My State of Ohio has not added jobs since the end of the last 
recession, even while economists and an indecisive President wonder 
whether the country is entering another one, with all of their 
definitions and all of their pondering these questions and all of the 
indifference that comes out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. What I do know 
is that there are 58,000 fewer jobs in Ohio than there were in November 
2001.
  In the past year around my State, I have attended almost 100 
roundtables where I have convened meetings of 120, 125 people who sit 
around a table and talk to me about their hopes and dreams, what is 
happening in their communities, ways I can help, and all of the things 
that can help me do my job in the Senate. One of the topics that came 
up again and again during these meetings was the topic of economic 
insecurity. Wages are stagnant, jobs are scarce, and jobs are too often 
temporary. Sometimes, laid-off workers have seen their lives change. 
Instead of one good-paying job, they are holding two part-time or full-
time jobs that pay significantly less than the job they held earlier. 
Middle-class families are struggling now and deeply worried about the 
future.
  The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing 
today on plant closings and workers' rights. This summer marks 20 years 
since Congress passed major plant closing legislation known as the WARN 
Act, a bill championed by Senator Howard Metzenbaum from Ohio, who

[[Page S4475]]

held this seat, and Senator Kennedy, who is our committee chair today 
on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
  One of the witnesses today was a gentleman from Senator Kennedy's 
State of Massachusetts, Joe Aguiar, who worked for a fabric 
manufacturer for nearly 30 years. He and 900 coworkers were laid off 
without any notice last summer. As are so many workers in 
manufacturing, he is about 50 years old. Like so many other workers in 
my State of Ohio, in Springfield and Lima and Tiffin and Marietta, 
their lives have been upended. For most, the pensions and health care 
which they earned and which they desperately need and which they 
thought had been promised to them, so often the pensions and health 
care will be slashed.
  Mr. Aguiar, as workers do in places such as Marion, OH, and Xenia and 
Zanesville--those workers need an extension of unemployment insurance. 
Now more than ever, we need to extend those unemployment benefits 
because so many workers see their unemployment benefits run out because 
they can't find comparable jobs.
  It is very simple. Economists on Wall Street and Washington and 
universities all say that every dollar invested in unemployment 
benefits leads to $1.64 in growth--more than any other stimulus 
package, any other stimulus program, any other way to put money into 
the economy. We had this discussion, and the unemployment extension was 
blocked by congressional Republicans some months ago. In addition, we 
offered a stimulus package which will, in fact, put money in people's 
pockets--a good thing. Unemployment extension would have come quicker 
and put money into the pockets of those who will spend it immediately 
because they are struggling. They need the money for gas for their cars 
to go out and look for jobs, for food to feed their families, and the 
daily necessities of life.
  The Congressional Budget Office agrees that a dollar in unemployment 
benefits leads to $1.64 in growth, finding that extending unemployment 
benefits is cost-effective and the single fastest acting measure.
  The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and the Akron 
Beacon Journal in my State all agree. Last week, the House approved an 
extension of unemployment insurance. The Democrats are trying to--or 
are going to--include unemployment insurance extension in the stimulus 
package. We hope the Republicans don't filibuster this, and that the 
President finally changes his mind and signs an extension of 
unemployment insurance. It is a reasonable extension and needs to be 
done now.
  As I came over here today to talk about unemployment benefits and 
extending them, my thoughts turned to Senator Kennedy and his family. 
Senator Kennedy, who we find out today has been diagnosed with a 
serious illness, has been fighting for an extension of unemployment 
insurance certainly lately in this case, and other times, but he is 
always fighting for workers, the poor, and the middle class. Nobody in 
this Congress has consistently, or for a longer period of time, in the 
history of this institution, fought for workers or the middle class the 
way Senator Kennedy has, and the way he will continue to; he has been 
tireless about this.
  Just last week, I stood on the Senate floor with Senator Kennedy as 
we worked together to pass legislation that came out of his committee, 
a committee on which I also sit, the Health, Education, Labor, Pension 
Committee, to establish collective bargaining rights for firefighters 
and others. When it comes to issues facing working families, Senator 
Kennedy, as recently as last week, fought for legislation to give 
workers a civil right--the right to collective bargaining. He has been 
the compass of this institution too. He focuses his attention and our 
attention on the insecurities so many families in this country are 
facing. Our prayers today are with him as he heals, and with his lovely 
family.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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