[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23811]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I understand that there is not a real 
possibility that the House of Representatives is going to take up an 
unemployment insurance extension bill tomorrow. I hope it does. I hope 
it passes. I would also fervently hope that this body will take up this 
bill immediately upon our return in mid-November when I understand we 
will be in session for 2 or 3 days. Passing an unemployment insurance 
extension is essential. The unemployment insurance extension which was 
signed into law on June 30 as part of our supplemental war 
appropriations bill included a 13-week extension of unemployment 
benefits for all States. This is less of an extension than we provided 
during economic downturns in the last 25 years because it does not 
include additional benefits for high-unemployment States.
  Currently, workers who started receiving the 13-week extension in 
mid-July, under the current program, will have their benefits cut off 
in October, and 775,000 workers across the Nation are going to be cut 
off, including 42,000 in Michigan alone. By the end of this year, the 
number of individuals who will have exhausted their unemployment 
benefits will rise to 1.1 million nationally and 58,000 in Michigan. We 
must ensure that those individuals who have lost their jobs, who are 
looking for work during a time when our companies are reducing the 
number of jobs and during a time when the price of food and energy is 
going up, that these people are not also struggling to put food on the 
table, to pay their utility bills, and to cover their mortgage 
payments.
  We have a bill in the Senate, which I cosponsored, which will provide 
this much needed unemployment insurance extension. The extension would 
ensure that out-of-work Americans have an additional 7 weeks as they 
continue to look for jobs. In high-unemployment States such as 
Michigan, the States will receive an additional 13 weeks. In August, 
Michigan's unemployment rate rose from 8.5 percent to 8.9 percent. The 
Nation's unemployment rate increased by almost half a percentage point 
to 6.1 percent. That is the highest since 2003.
  These are very hard economic times. Unemployment rates are rising. 
Since January of 2001, we have lost over 3.6 million manufacturing jobs 
nationally and over a quarter million manufacturing jobs in Michigan. 
The numbers of unemployed are rising all over the country. We must act 
to protect American workers and their families.
  The Congress needs to act before we adjourn. That means during that 
window, that 2- or 3-day window in mid-November. We must seize that 
opportunity to do what we have done in prior downturns; that is, to 
give greater protection to workers who are unemployed and desperately 
looking for work.
  I ask unanimous consent that a chart comparing the unemployment 
benefits in this downturn to previous downturns be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

    CONGRESS HAS EXTENDED BENEFITS FOR HARD-HIT STATES IN EVERY OTHER
                     RECESSION OF THE LAST 25 YEARS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Additional
                                       Temporary       benefits granted
              Date                   unemployment           to high
                                   benefits granted      unemployment
                                     to all States          States
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982............................   8 weeks..........  Up to 14 weeks.
1991............................  26 weeks..........  7 weeks.
2002............................  13 weeks..........  13 weeks.
2008............................  13 weeks..........  None.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Congressional Research Service.

  Mr. LEVIN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEVIN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call 
be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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