[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 101 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H5487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD FOR ECONOMY

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, nearly one in five 
unemployed Americans have lost their unemployment benefits because it 
has taken them longer than 26 weeks to find a new job. Obviously, most 
companies are laying off. Imagine not having a job, losing unemployment 
benefits, and then trying to pay for gas at the pump and food at the 
grocery store.
  This Democratic Congress knows it is tougher to find a job when the 
economy is not producing them. That is why we passed legislation last 
week giving these workers an additional 13 weeks of unemployment 
benefits.
  In my home State of Texas, there are more than 45,000 workers who 
have already exhausted their unemployment insurance and 115,000 more 
that are expected to exhaust their benefits by March of next year. This 
legislation would help all of these people. But President Bush and his 
Republican allies here in the House oppose our efforts, even though the 
President supported a similar extension back in 2002 when the economic 
situation is not nearly as bad as it is now.
  Mr. Speaker, millions of American workers need help from this 
Congress today. Washington Republicans should reconsider their 
opposition to this important legislation.

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