[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 192 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H8911]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MIDDLE CLASS TAX RELIEF AND JOB CREATION ACT

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during this season of giving, 
when our Nation should be reflecting on the needs of our friends and 
neighbors who are out of work struggling to provide for their loved 
ones, this Chamber yesterday voted to cut unemployment benefits for 1 
million of our fellow Americans.
  The House majority's bill would eliminate several tiers of benefits 
created under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which 
has provided up to 99 weeks of support for those who lost their jobs 
through no fault of their own.
  If this legislation becomes law, the maximum potential unemployment 
benefit will fall by 40 weeks. This legislation would also allow 
States, many of which are struggling to balance their budgets, to 
reduce the average weekly amount available to beneficiaries. With over 
8 percent unemployment, I'm strongly opposed to any reduction in 
emergency unemployment insurance.
  I am a proud supporter, though, of moving the XL pipeline project 
forward and supported it in separate legislation. The XL pipeline makes 
both energy and economic sense for our country, and I hope the 
administration will find a way to allow the construction to commence in 
some States while still revisiting the route in Nebraska.
  I urge my colleagues to stand in support of the over 13 million 
Americans looking for work this holiday season and pass a clean 
extension of the unemployment insurance program.

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