[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8508]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     EXPAND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

  (Ms. KELLY of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the 
families who are still struggling to make ends meet.
  Our economy has made great strides since the end of the recession. 
Like my colleagues, I have watched the unemployment rate tick down each 
month from 10 percent in 2009 to 5 percent today.
  According to the story that these numbers tell, our economy has 
recovered. But for nearly 8 million Americans still looking for work, 
our economy is still in a state of crisis.
  In my home district, more than 16 percent live in poverty, and the 
unemployment rate is three times the national rate, at 15 percent. I 
have met hundreds of these unemployed constituents at my annual job 
fair. They aren't looking for a handout; they are looking for a hand 
up, an opportunity to work, a chance to live a better life, a shot at 
the American Dream.
  As we enter the second half of 2016, I urge my colleagues to stand 
with me and take action to expand economic opportunities and to ensure 
that all Americans who want to work have the chance to do so.

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