[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 96 (Thursday, June 19, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H5503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WITNESS WEDNESDAY: FACES OF THE UNEMPLOYED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, in the United States, we have always had 
a bipartisan tradition of assisting fellow hardworking Americans who 
have fallen on hard times--until now. As they are looking for their 
next job, we used to make sure that they had assistance through 
unemployment insurance to cover their basic needs. That is why 
yesterday I stood with Congresswoman Dina Titus, Donna Edwards, Gwen 
Moore, and nearly a dozen group advocates for what we are calling 
``Witness Wednesdays.'' We all read stories about real people, 
submitted by them, who are struggling since their unemployment 
insurance has expired.
  During that event, the National Women's Law Center released a study 
with some very sobering statistics. Women, particularly older women, 
women of color, and women heads of households, are deeply affected by 
unemployment, as are their children by the lack of emergency 
unemployment insurance benefits.
  Last year, in my State of Illinois, more than 140,000 children lived 
in households headed by a long-term unemployed parent. Also, in my 
State, by the end of the year, nearly a quarter-million people will be 
left without benefits they need to meet their families' basic needs if 
we don't renew emergency unemployment insurance.
  These are real people and real families behind these numbers. These 
are people looking for jobs. I am going to read four stories from 
Illinoisans who have suffered setbacks as they look for the work they 
need--for us to renew unemployment insurance without any further delay.
  Chris from Glenview, Illinois, says:

       My husband and I will never recover financially and are 
     praying we will not lose our home. I don't think I will ever 
     be able to retire, which is concerning as I have health 
     problems. My 28-year-old son is still living at home because 
     he was unemployed for over a year and is now serving coffee 
     for minimum wage. He has a bachelor's degree from Loyola 
     University, and between his student loans and our parent 
     loans, we will all be in debt for the rest of our lives. We 
     are not alone. I know of so many who are struggling as we 
     are.

  Sue from Chicago says:

       Due to new management at the HIV/AIDS agency where I worked 
     for over 10 years, I was fired on May 23 in order for them to 
     save money. I am 58 years old, have an auto-immune liver 
     disease that limits me physically and requires regular health 
     care from specialists, as well as six medications. I have no 
     savings and retirement is a laughable matter. Because I had 
     no warning that this was going to happen, I am now looking at 
     having no income, no health, and having to move from Chicago 
     to downstate Springfield, where the cost of living is much 
     lower, though job prospects are dismal.

  Dinah from Chicago says:

       I am losing my hair, apartment, and car. I have borrowed 
     from everyone in my family, hoping to pay them back soon. I 
     have worked since 1993 and am now unemployed. Soon I will be 
     in a shelter, car repossession, and bald. I am looking for 
     work. I have been on several interviews but so far no luck.

  And Celia from Chicago says:

       I had a job interview in December 2013, about the time my 
     unemployment ran out. I really wanted this job. It was not 
     just the fact that I would be able to pay bills; the work 
     would be rewarding. Unfortunately, the tension I felt when it 
     was clear that I had to get this position, that there would 
     be no extension of benefits, caused me to freeze up at the 
     interview when asked to display my skills. This had never 
     happened to me. I am usually the type to have no problems 
     once I land the interview.
       My confidence is way down. I am 62. I have no income and 
     can't seem to find decent jobs to even apply to. I have had 
     to regularly take money out of my retirement savings in order 
     to stay out of debt. The worst thing about this time after a 
     good career is to feel dropped, disappeared, and no longer of 
     value. There is a dry feeling, dusty, of everything being 
     cheap and on sale and no way to get back. I am ashamed of 
     being out of the work world.

  Chris, Sue, Dinah, and Celia are 4 of nearly 5 million Americans who 
will continue to suffer and struggle if we don't renew emergency 
unemployment insurance by the end of this year. We should vote and pass 
the bill to renew unemployment insurance without any further delay.

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