[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 106 (Wednesday, July 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H5886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
(Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, today, millions of Americans across the
country need emergency unemployment insurance to support their
families--to provide for their very basic needs--as those hardworking
Americans have lost their previous jobs and are simply in search of
their next opportunities, through no fault of their own.
Somehow, this issue has been turned into a partisan issue. It is not
a partisan issue back home. There is no such thing as a Democratic or a
Republican unemployed person. They are unemployed, and they are looking
for all the help they can get.
The week before last, I and three of my Democratic colleagues and Mr.
LoBiondo--a Republican--and three of his colleagues introduced a
bipartisan unemployment insurance extension. It is a mirror image of
the language that has been introduced by Mr. Reed and Mr. Heller in the
Senate. This is a bipartisan bill. We can take this up right now.
Is it the bill that I would have written by myself? No. In fact, I
did submit an extension of unemployment that the House has not taken
up, but we have compromised. We ought to do the work of the American
people.
We have a bipartisan bill to extend unemployment insurance. The House
should take it up immediately. Millions of Americans need it, and it is
upon us to take this action.
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