[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 176 (Thursday, December 12, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H8089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AMERICA CAN DO BETTER

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as we end this particular legislative 
session, I just wanted to rise and say that, on the one hand, the vast 
majority of Members voted to run the government of the United States 
prudently and within budget and to operate as adults over the next 2 
years; on the other hand, the lack of a provision in that bill to 
accommodate those who are unemployed across this country is a sad 
commentary on the leadership of this House.
  In the State of Ohio where Speaker Boehner hails from, over half of 
the counties in Ohio are above the national unemployment average of 7 
percent, which is way too high for the country as a whole. For us as a 
Chamber not to be able to include, especially before Christmas and the 
holiday season, the extension of unemployment benefits even for a few 
months for people who will now face Christmas and the new year with 
even more worry and hardship is unconscionable for this Nation. I just 
know that we are capable of better.
  I would suggest to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee that 
if you shaved 1 percent off of every account in the discretionary part 
of the budget, you would be able to find the money to extend the 
benefits for 3 more months, and then we can look toward a more 
permanent solution from the Ways and Means Committee.
  I am thankful for the opportunity to make this important statement 
for the Record. America can do better for our unemployed.

                          ____________________