[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20037-20038]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, millions of hardworking Americans have 
lost their jobs in this economic crisis through no fault of their own. 
But rather than standing up and helping

[[Page 20038]]

struggling Americans, yesterday this Chamber advanced a bill doomed to 
fail because of all of the unrelated and controversial riders that were 
attached.
  According to the Rhode Island State director of labor, for every two 
part- or full-time positions in Rhode Island there are seven 
applicants. There's an urgent need for Congress to extend Federal 
emergency unemployment compensation in my State with a total of 58,000 
unemployed Rhode Islanders.
  This social safety net provides a lifeline to struggling individuals, 
helping them to pay their mortgage and utilities as well as put food on 
the table for their families. Families like Betsy Hamel's in Jamestown, 
Rhode Island. Betsy supports her disabled husband and her severely 
disabled son but doesn't know how she'll make ends meet while 
continuing to look for work if unemployment assistance is not extended.
  It's time to stop playing partisan games and stand up for the 
millions of Americans like Betsy and extend unemployment benefits now.

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