[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13712]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE NECESSARY FOR 3.8 MILLION JOBLESS AMERICANS

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, with the Bush economy losing 325 jobs so far 
this year, it is important for the House to extend a financial lifeline 
to millions of unemployed workers, many in my home State of New Jersey 
and across the Nation, who are having trouble finding jobs. Today, 1.6 
million Americans have exhausted all of their unemployment benefits. 
The numbers are expected to grow to more than 3 million Americans by 
the end of this year.
  Last week, with strong support from both Democrats and Republicans, 
this House passed legislation giving workers and their families an 
extended 13 weeks of benefits so that they don't have to worry about 
losing their homes and their cars while they're looking for work.
  For weeks, despite continued bad economic news and huge job losses in 
the airline and auto industries, the White House actually threatened to 
veto the legislation. Fortunately, they have reconsidered, and they are 
now supporting that the unemployment insurance will continue.

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