[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H1523-H1524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, last month the unemployment rate 
increased from 7.2 percent to 7.6 percent. If these increases continue, 
we will hit double digits this summer and would

[[Page H1524]]

reach our highest unemployment number since the Great Depression. But 
this unemployment number does not tell the complete story.
  Last month alone, 731,000 people simply gave up looking for work out 
of frustration with the lack of employment prospects, and today 13.9 
percent of Americans, or more than 21 million of our neighbors, have 
either given up looking for a job or are working in a job that is no 
longer full time. These workers are underemployed.
  These numbers are a stark reminder of how important it is for us to 
get these people back to work, and that is why we need to pass the 
economic recovery package today without delay.
  Madam Speaker, we have an opportunity to create or save 3.5 million 
jobs. Let's do the right thing and get these people back to work.

                          ____________________