[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 700-701]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      EUGENE'S UNEMPLOYMENT STORY

  (Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, as we debate how to extend

[[Page 701]]

unemployment benefits--and I certainly hope we will have that debate--
we must remember what this vital lifeline means to real people.
  Just recently, I held a roundtable discussion with local San Diegans 
in my district who are struggling to find work. In listening to their 
stories, I was struck by what a difference these essential benefits 
make.
  Eugene, for example, was employed in the health care industry until 
June of 2012. When his lifeline was cut off shortly after Christmas, 
Eugene noted how ``confidence falls, financial pressures mount, anxiety 
increases, and we begin to take desperate measures just to survive.'' 
He added that these Federal extensions do make a difference, 
particularly in the case of having stable housing.
  It is unfair to let this happen. After all, these benefits were 
earned by people who have worked and paid into the system. They should 
be able to put their full energies into getting a job; but if you can't 
afford housing, if you can't afford transportation to work, then that 
is nearly impossible to do. We should do the right thing for Eugene and 
for over 1 million fellow Americans by extending this lifeline now.

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