[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S8804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE EXTENSION

  Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, today I wish to speak about one of the 
most important jobs the Senate must do before we go home for the 
holidays--extend Federal unemployment insurance benefits. This is a 
program that has helped tens of millions of Americans weather the storm 
of the difficult economy over the last several years. It has helped 
workers put food on the table, kept a roof over their heads, and kept 
millions out of poverty.
  But this program is at risk. If Congress fails to extend it, then 
just 3 days after Christmas on December 28, 1.3 million Americans will 
be abruptly cut off from their vital unemployment insurance benefits. 
But it does not stop there: by the end of next year another 3.6 million 
Americans will be cut off from unemployment insurance. That's a total 
of 4.9 million Americans--including 35,500 Iowans, who have spent 6 
months or more trying to find new work, going out and pounding the 
pavement day after day, who will now have to spend this holiday season 
worrying about how they and their families and children are going to 
survive. How will they pay their heating bill, their rent, or their 
mortgage, much less afford gifts for their family?
  Congress has a moral responsibility to continue the Federal 
unemployment insurance program to ensure that Americans and their 
families can survive while trying to get back on their feet and find 
new work. It is simply unacceptable for us to return to our home States 
to celebrate the holidays without answering our constituents' call to 
keep this critical lifeline going. They are depending on us.
  Unfortunately, some people seem to think that the misfortune of 
losing a job means that these hardworking folks are to blame, or that 
they do not deserve this basic lifeline. But they are not. In fact, 
participation in the unemployment program requires that workers have a 
significant work history, which means they have paid into the system 
and earned these benefits. Collecting benefits also requires workers to 
have lost their job through no fault of their own, and to be actively 
looking for work. The fact is times are still tough and jobs are hard 
to come by. For every job opening there are three job seekers. That is 
why so many millions of workers have been searching for new work for 
such a long period of time. Our economy still needs more jobs, and in 
the meantime, we must make sure that workers who are out of luck in 
this economy have some basic income to make ends meet. We cannot 
abandon them now.
  These benefits are crucial for keeping households afloat. For many, 
this is their last lifeline. If Congress fails to act, millions of 
people will face real economic devastation. The Council of Economic 
Advisers found that in 2012 unemployment benefits kept 2.5 million 
people from falling below the poverty line, including 600,000 children.
  By helping families to make ends meet, unemployment benefits are a 
help not just to jobseekers and their families, but to our economy as a 
whole. After all, one of the best ways to grow our economy and to 
create jobs is to support spending power. And that is exactly what 
unemployment benefits do. When unemployed workers can continue to pay 
their bills, businesses can continue to make sales and provide 
services, and the economy grows. The Congressional Budget Office finds 
unemployment benefits to be one of the most efficient fiscal policies 
to improve economic growth. If Federal unemployment benefits are 
extended through 2014, it would increase GDP by 0.2 percent and create 
200,000 jobs. Those jobs could be lost if we do not extend this 
program.
  It's important to remember who is most affected by long-term 
unemployment. Unfortunately, it is older workers. In a cruel state of 
affairs, those who have been working for decades, but who are not yet 
at retirement age, have the hardest time finding new work. According to 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over half of jobseekers between ages 55 
and 64 have been searching for work for over 6 months. That is compared 
to 42 percent of those between 25 and 54. These older workers can't yet 
afford the luxury of retirement. They need to continue working to 
support their families and hopefully one day save enough to retire with 
security.
  Congress has a long history of acting to ensure basic security for 
working people during tough economic times. Over the last 50 years, 
during seven different economic downturns, Congress has provided 
Federal unemployment benefit programs to assist workers when 
unemployment is high. The current program was put in place in 2008 by 
President George W. Bush when the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent. 
While unemployment is falling, it is still at a high rate, 7 percent. 
Long-term unemployment has been at record highs for years. Currently 37 
percent of unemployed workers have been looking for new work for at 
least 6 months. Congress has never allowed Federal unemployment 
benefits to expire while the long-term unemployment rate was above 23 
percent. Our economy is recovering, but we are not there yet. While the 
duration of Federal benefits has appropriately been scaled back as the 
recovery has progressed, there is no question that American families 
are still depending on Federal unemployment benefits, and there is no 
justification for letting the current program expire now.
  We cannot let vulnerable Americans be cut off from their unemployment 
insurance during their time of need. We cannot turn the lights out on 
millions of Americans. Working families deserve peace of mind and our 
continued support while they look for jobs during these tough times. I 
urge the Senate to act to extend unemployment benefits, so that 
families do not have to wonder how they will survive in the New Year.

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