Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3548--the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009. In light of the devastating impact the recession has had on families and communities across the country, this legislation is critical to ensure that jobless workers continue to collect unemployment benefits while they rebuild their lives and try to find gainful employment. This is a very important bill, and I commend Representative Jim McDermott for bringing this measure before the floor.

Although Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced last week that the recession is very likely over, he and other members of the Obama administration caution that unemployment may continue to rise before we start to see significant job creation next year. And today, many people across the country remain jobless and are relying on their unemployment benefits to support their families.

Unless Congress acts, over 300,000 jobless workers living in high unemployment states are projected to exhaust their unemployment benefits by the end of September. California is ranked among the states leading in double digit unemployment rates. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of August 2009, California's unemployment rate reached 12.2 percent. Moreover, the Department of Labor reports the state has lost well over 700,000 jobs over the past year.

I have received countless distressing calls and letters from my constituents. I have heard horror stories about foreclosed homes, displaced families, and even death due to unforeseen illness because of an inability to pay for medical care. These stories give a face to the statistics.

This recession has been particularly devastating on communities of color. The unemployment rate for African Americans is 15.1 percent, and for our Hispanics and Latinos, the rate is 13.1 percent. When you consider the nationwide unemployment rate is 9.7 percent, our minority communities are clearly fairing far worse. These communities are in desperate need for further assistance as provided under this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to add my voice of support for H.R. 3548. And I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that our Federal government's economic recovery programs are effective and actually achieve their intended goals.

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