[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 28, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H1443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              UNEMPLOYMENT

  (Ms. HANABUSA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. HANABUSA. Madam Speaker, many who are unemployed through no fault 
of their own remember December 28. That was when the unemployment 
insurance was not extended and Congress failed them. 1.3 million 
Americans were without any support as of that day. In 6 months, that 
number will grow to 1.9 million--72,000 a week, or one person every 8 
seconds.
  The real problem that we face is really the lack of job 
opportunities. Madam Speaker, we must bring the President's proposal 
for job creation to the floor. Remember, you have to be actively 
seeking work before you can receive unemployment insurance. Do you see 
the problem? There are no efforts to create jobs, and there is no bill 
there to protect those who are unemployed through no fault of their 
own.
  This is the highest long-term unemployment this country has seen 
since World War II. People need government to recognize this problem, 
and we have failed. We need to go back and know why unemployment 
insurance was created in the first place. We need to be that 
compassionate country again.

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