[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 183 (Thursday, December 1, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H8010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        UNEMPLOYMENT IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. At a time when Americans are not really 
deeply concerned about investors in European markets and what will 
happen to them upon Greece or Italy or somewhere like that going belly-
up, most Americans are fixated on one problem, ladies and gentlemen. 
It's a very personal problem. That problem is unemployment right here 
in America.
  Now, while we are pondering the difficulties that investors may face 
because of efforts to prop up central banks in Europe, people are 
hurting out here. People, including wives or husbands of unemployed 
spouses, are suffering. They're suffering as we close in on the holiday 
season when they see so many out doing for their families and they 
themselves, having been unemployed, most of whom have been unemployed 
for at least 6 months, many for 2 years, they're looking and they're 
feeling this holiday spirit but in a bad way. They're regretful of the 
fact that they're not able to fully participate in this part of the 
American Dream doing for others, buying Christmas gifts.
  In fact, people are worried about whether or not their unemployment 
insurance will be there for them after the beginning of the year. They 
realize that they're closing in on the cut-off date for expiration of 
the long-term unemployment benefits. And they're worried about that, 
not about investors and how they might fare in terms of European 
countries not being fiscally solvent, allegedly.
  So, Mr. Speaker, every day it seems like I read another report from 
economists telling us how important it is to extend unemployment 
benefits to help our fragile economy recover. And there's no doubt 
about helping millions of unemployed Americans during the worst 
downturn since the Great Depression, which was caused by the very 
investment bankers that have been discussed today that might be hurt 
because of European shenanigans. It's mind-boggling.
  They are the ones that actually kicked this cesspool that we're in 
off. And then they got bailed out, but they're not willing to allow the 
very Tea Party, Grover Norquist Republican parties who they control, 
they're not willing to let them extend unemployment insurance benefits 
for the long-term unemployed unless there's a penalty involved.

                              {time}  1120

  They can't bring themselves to fund it. They don't want to do it.
  As the holidays near, economics should take a backseat to our basic 
humanity. What about our commitment to each other? We're all in this 
together; but unfortunately, the 47 percent of millionaires who 
populate the House of Representatives don't have that same concept of 
knowing what it is to hurt when you've been unemployed for such a long 
time and when money is not coming in. They don't relate to that. We've 
got nearly 14 million unemployed workers, and about five workers are 
applying for each job that is available. So, for Congress to think 
about going home to celebrate the holidays with their families and 
leaving these people out with no hope is, indeed, a great tragedy.

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