[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13388]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AMENDMENTS OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                               of mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2003

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, people in New Mexico are 
hurting. Since January 2001, the unemployment rate in my state has 
risen to 5.9 percent. While every single person on unemployment would 
rather have a job, until the economy reverses, we in Congress have a 
moral obligation to help the jobless make ends meet. The extension will 
help nearly 5,000 New Mexicans who still have not found jobs, and were 
scheduled to exhaust their Federal benefits at the end of this month.
  We have been calling for this type of legislation for weeks, and I 
applaud the Majority for finally doing what is right. Unfortunately, 
although they have done what's right, they haven't done enough in this 
bill to help all Americans who are out of work.
  Last year, because of the failed economic policies of this 
administration, Congress was forced to enact the Temporary Extension of 
Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) bill. Sadly, though, the need has only 
increased since then. The economy has actually gotten worse since 
Congress passed TEUC in March 2002.
  The number of unemployed (8.79 million) is at the highest level in 
nearly a decade. The unemployment rate rose to 6.0 percent in April, 
compared to 5.7 percent when TEUC was enacted in March 2003 and when 
the program was extended in January of this year. The number of payroll 
jobs fell for the third straight month in April; unemployment is now 
2.1 million below its level when the recession began. Long-term 
unemployment also continues to get worse.
  Unemployment benefits provide an economic lifeline for families 
struggling to find work and boost an ailing economy. People are losing 
their jobs, looking for work, and finding none.
  It is unfortunate that the House leadership waited so long to bring 
up this bill. It is also unfortunate that the House leadership has 
refused us a vote on the Democratic alternative--yet again.
  While I will vote for this bill because it is critical to the 
millions of Americans who have lost their jobs in the last two years, 
we should be doing more. This plan leaves over one million unemployed 
behind, and fails to provide them the benefits they need to put food on 
the table, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their heads.
  We also should be extending this benefit for 26 weeks, not just 13. 
Although the bill provides that in high unemployment states jobless 
workers would be eligible for 13 more weeks--in addition to the 13 
extra weeks available to all jobless workers who have exhausted their 
26 weeks of regular benefits--the entire country is in need of this 
assistance. Because of the strict requirements for a state to qualify 
as a high unemployment state under this program, only six states 
currently qualify--Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, 
Pennsylvania and Washington. We should pass the full Democratic package 
immediately to help everyone seeking work, not just the few.
  Research shows that during previous recessions, the stimulative power 
of unemployment benefits saved an average of 131,000 jobs and slowed 
the drop in the Gross Domestic Product by 15 percent. National studies 
have shown that $1 in unemployment insurance leads to $2.15 worth of 
economic growth.
  Every week without unemployment insurance benefits, states lose $200 
million in cash--cash that in all likelihood would be spent at the 
local grocery store and the local gas station. Indeed, a recent study 
by Economy.com, an independent financial research group, found that the 
single most effective stimulus measure would be further extension of 
emergency Federal unemployment insurance benefits.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation unfortunately is long overdue, and very 
necessary. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 2158, and quickly send 
this legislation to the Senate to ensure these benefits continue 
uninterrupted.

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