[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 170 (Tuesday, December 3, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCING THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC SECURITY 
                              ACT OF 2013

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 3, 2013

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the 
National Commission on Employment and Economic Security Act of 2013.
  This legislation makes necessary and vital investments in our 
nation's workforce and their families. It establishes a national 
commission to examine issues of economic and psychological insecurity 
within our workforce that have been caused by employment displacement. 
Furthermore, it will propose solutions, including recommendations for 
legislative and administrative action, to Congress and the President.
  During the recession that began in December 2007 and in the 
subsequent months, more than 8.7 million jobs were lost. By October 
2009, the unemployment rate had reached 10.0 percent, and roughly 15.4 
million people were unemployed in our country. In Florida, the 
unemployment rate reached 11.4 percent in March 2010, and in some 
states, such as Rhode Island and South Carolina, the unemployment rate 
rose to just short of 12 percent, peaking at 11.9 percent in early 
2010.
  Luckily, we are on the road to recovery, and 7.5 million jobs have 
been created during 42 straight months of private-sector job growth 
across the country. Unemployment rates have fallen in all 50 states and 
the District of Columbia. Our economy is recovering, but the need for 
this vital research is no less critical. This is highlighted by current 
projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which estimate 
that the unemployment rate will not fall below 6 percent until the end 
of 2016, and will remain above 5 percent through 2023.
  Mr. Speaker, when Americans lose their jobs and their incomes shrink, 
too often, they face the loss of their family's health insurance and, 
subsequent to the loss of income, and even their housing. According to 
an American Psychological Association (APA) report from February 2013, 
money (69 percent), work (65 percent), and the economy (61 percent) 
remain the most frequently cited sources of stress for Americans.
  The mental health of the American worker is integral as we continue 
down the road of economic recovery. Congress must face this problem 
head on and help those facing long-term unemployment, loss of health 
insurance, home foreclosure, increased levels of stress, and increased 
risk of mental illness.
  I believe that we have a responsibility to provide the greatest 
possible assistance to our nation's workforce, whose commitment to 
economic participation has been a defining feature of the cultural 
fabric of our country. This Commission will be instrumental in ensuring 
that we get our nation fully back on track, and I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation.

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