[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 191 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H8744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WE DON'T LEARN FROM HISTORY

  (Ms. HIRONO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I don't know what's the matter with us when 
we don't learn from history.
  After the Great Depression, we passed the Social Security Act. Two 
major components: One is to keep our seniors safe in their years of 
retirement, and the second, to provide for those who may become 
unemployed through no fault of their own.
  The bill that we're being asked to vote on today is going to cut 
unemployment, cut unemployment, the extended portion, which people have 
come to rely on for those who are looking for work and can't get it, 
and we're cutting the emergency portion of it as well by eliminating 
tiers.
  But, Mr. Speaker, more than anything else, the part that just bothers 
me and forces me to speak is that we are going to make people qualify 
for unemployment. They've got to have a high school diploma or a GED 
equivalent.
  Mr. Speaker, my father went to the ninth grade. He worked through his 
whole life. Imagine someone like him, and there are many people like my 
father, that will not qualify for unemployment, will not qualify 
because they didn't have a high school diploma.

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