[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 166 (Wednesday, November 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN SUPPORT OF CONTINUING EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 20, 2013

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, unemployment benefits 
are a critical lifeline for our citizens and our economy. Although our 
economy is gradually improving from one of the worst economic 
recessions in its history, the economic crisis remains a daily reality 
for 11.3 million unemployed workers and for the millions of Americans 
experiencing record levels of food insecurity, poverty, and 
foreclosure.
  Now is not the time to cut unemployment. Our economy continues to 
need federal unemployment benefits to support its growth. Jobs still 
remain hard to get with 2 million fewer jobs now than at the beginning 
of the recession. We continue to experience historic levels of long-
term unemployment with over one-third of unemployed workers having been 
out of work longer than six months. Further, unemployment remains high 
in many areas of our country, like in my home state of Illinois where 
the unemployment rate is 9%. The non-partisan Economic Policy Institute 
estimates that failing to extend emergency unemployment benefits 
another year will damage our fragile recovery, reducing economic growth 
by 0.4 percentage points in the first quarter of 2014 and costing 
310,000 much-needed jobs next year.
  Now is not the time to cut unemployment. Millions of Americans rely 
on unemployment assistance to survive. In Illinois, approximately 
389,000 people relied on unemployment benefits during 2013. The 
insistence of the Republican Leadership on slashing federal emergency 
assistance will impose incredible hardship on approximately 3.2 million 
Americans, with 1.3 million cruelly stripped of benefits just after 
Christmas and another 1.9 million losing benefits in the first six 
months of next year. The failure of the Republican Leadership to extend 
this critical lifeline would impose incredible hardship on over 153,000 
Illinoisans. These Americans lost their jobs through no fault of their 
own, they tirelessly try to find work when the jobs are few and far 
between, and they struggle to cover basic food, housing, and 
transportation costs for their families on an average of $290 a week, a 
pittance which typically replaces only half of the average family's 
expenses. Failing to help these citizens is unacceptable.
  Government leaders have a responsibility to protect our citizens and 
our country, especially during times of national crisis. Failure to 
continue emergency unemployment benefits will harm our economic 
recovery and harm Americans who already are hardest hit by the economic 
crisis--including older Americans, low-income Americans, Americans from 
racial and ethnic minority groups, and Americans without a high school 
diploma. Congress must quickly act to support our citizens and our 
economic recovery by continuing emergency unemployment benefits.

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