[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 2, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S912-S913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, last week Senate leadership reached 
agreement on a short-term extension of Federal unemployment benefits 
and other critical programs that were set to expire. But when we tried 
to pass the bill, sadly, one single Senator objected. Because of that 
one Senator and his filibuster, Federal unemployment benefits and 
health care subsidies for people who have lost their jobs have now 
expired. This Senator also single-handedly halted highway projects 
across the country and put workers' futures in jeopardy. The 
obstruction of this bill has brought to a standstill small business 
lending programs that have been successful at boosting the number of 
SBA-guaranteed loans since the Recovery Act was passed. Because of the 
Senator's actions, physicians will see their immediate care 
reimbursements slashed by over 21 percent, threatening the health care 
of too many seniors in New Hampshire and across this country.

  There may be some people who don't realize the damage caused by these 
lapses, so I am here, as so many people have been here on the floor 
over the last several days, to talk about what is happening to too many 
people because of this filibuster.
  First, this is about the struggles faced by individual workers and 
their families. Right now, with a record number of unemployed workers 
competing for each job, it has become harder than ever for people who 
lose a job to get back to work. Of the 16 million Americans who are out 
of work today, nearly 6 million--more than 1 in 3--have run through the 
benefits provided by their States. These 6 million people are the ones 
served by Federal unemployment, which is a critical safety net that 
helps families buy gas and groceries and helps them heat their homes 
and pay their mortgages and their rents while they look for the next 
job. Because of the actions of just one Member of this body--actions 
that I believe are irresponsible--more than 1.2 million people will get 
their last check during the month of March.
  My office has heard from hundreds of constituents in the last week 
who are on the verge of losing their benefits, and their stories are 
heartbreaking. I wish to tell my colleagues about just one.
  A woman named Linda wrote me. She said:

       I've been unemployed for the first time in my life since 
     August. I will be 60 on March 14, and I have not been able to 
     find another full-time job. I own an older mobile home in 
     Epping and don't have a retirement plan, a nest egg, or 
     anything of that nature. The prospect of my unemployment 
     benefits going away very soon (I may only have two to three 
     weeks left) because of one Senator digging in his heels makes 
     me feel sick. Please, please do everything you can to get an 
     extension for unemployment benefits passed. God has a plan 
     for us all; I just pray that I don't lose everything, as many 
     others have, and that one Senator isn't playing the partisan 
     card just because he can. I'm not sure that America is the 
     land of opportunity that it used to be.

  That is the end of her quote.
  While some may think it is no big deal to make people such as Linda 
wait a week or 2 weeks to get another unemployment check, even short-
term expirations have damaging results. When State workforce agencies 
are forced to shut down and restart complicated Federal benefits 
programs, they experience huge backlogs in their systems that delay 
getting checks out the door. Phone lines at call centers are jammed 
with claimants, holding up others from filing for benefits, and lines 
at one-stop centers get longer and longer. In the best of 
circumstances, individuals who see their benefits lapse while this 
filibuster continues will have to wait weeks before they begin 
receiving checks again. That is a long time when you are living on 
unemployment.
  Then there is the uncertainty and the fear that comes when someone 
opens the mail to find a notice that this check is the last one they 
will receive. Families can't make responsible budget choices when we 
abruptly interrupt safety net programs.
  So this filibuster isn't just holding up benefits to those who are 
already out of work; it is causing more Americans to lose their jobs. 
By cutting off highway funding, one Senator has put thousands more 
Americans at risk of losing their jobs. For the first time in 20 years, 
construction projects across the country have halted. Without an 
extension of highway programs, construction companies in New Hampshire 
can't plan ahead. Workers in New Hampshire don't know whether there 
will be a job for them when construction season starts back up in the 
spring. Due to the actions of just one Senator, the future of these 
workers is uncertain.
  This filibuster is especially egregious because it abuses the Senate 
rules, but, unfortunately, abusing the rules in order to prevent us 
from addressing the needs of families and small businesses has sadly 
become too routine. That is why I believe we need to take a very hard 
look at changing the Senate rules. It is time to stop playing political 
games with the lives of the American people. I hope that at least on 
this bill, every Member of the Senate can come together to support the 
millions of people who are counting on our leadership.
  Thank you very much. I yield the floor and note the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. DeMINT. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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