Extending Unemployment Insurance

Floor Speech

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it has been 18 days since the Senate Democrats tried to pass a strong unemployment insurance extension only to see the bill blocked by the other side of the aisle. Since that time, over 125,000 Americans trying to find work have lost their unemployment benefits; 125,000 families across America now have the hardest possible question to answer: How are we going to keep food on the table? How are we going to keep a roof over the heads of myself and my family? Unfortunately, we have been unable to move an extension of unemployment benefits on the floor of the Senate.

This is unusual because in times gone by, this was never even controversial. Extending unemployment benefits was expected. If the economy was in recession and jobs were lost, we stepped up, both parties, and said: We can debate a lot of things, but let's understand there are a lot of Americans in very difficult circumstances who need a helping hand. That is not this time. Unfortunately, at this point in time, it has become a politically controversial issue about whether to extend unemployment benefits to people.

I have heard from a lot of people back in Illinois. A week ago in Chicago, I met with a room full of unemployed people and talked with them about their expenses first hand--people who have been out of work for long periods of time and are desperate to find a job. These people were all in training to improve their skills to get a better chance at employment. They told me about losing their health insurance. They worry about losing their homes. They are depleting their savings. They don't know which way to turn.

That is the reality. Any image anyone has of people on unemployment enjoying it and lazily waiting for the next check I think would be completely obviated by a visit with people who are unemployed.

I hope all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will sit down with these families who are asking us for unemployment benefits.

A 50-year-old woman in Machesney Park wrote me recently:

I have worked steadily since I was 16. I am now 51 and have only had to collect unemployment once in those 35 years. I received my last unemployment check the first week in September [of this year]. I [look for] work every day. If I could just find a part-time job at 25 to 35 hours a week, I could get by. .....

[Our families] have exhausted our retirement accounts just to keep [paying the bills]. Now we fear not being able to survive when retirement comes. So I do want to thank you and wish to stress the urgency in getting this bill passed. Do not give up on us hard-working American citizens.

A wife and mother in Fox River Grove wrote me and said:

I am a 59-year-old educated woman who lost my job in April 2008. I was just informed that my unemployment benefits will run out in [30 days]. I have been actively looking all this time but there is little out there for me.

I can't believe that people are going to be turned away for benefits when there is nothing out there for us to do. .....

After years of working, putting two kids through college (MBA and [another master's degree]), we thought at last we could save for our retirement. I guess now keeping our house should be [a higher priority]. My 94-year-old mother has moved in with us because she lost her house so we are trying to [help her get along].

Please convince Congress to extend unemployment [benefits] until we can see a light at the end of the unemployment tunnel.

A young lady from Chicago wrote me:

I have been out of work since January 2009. I am currently collecting unemployment benefits, but am nearing the end [of eligibility for benefits].

I don't have crazy outstanding bills, actually, I have no debt other than a $300 credit card that has fallen into arrears. I'm just trying to get by living in the city of Chicago. I have $12.58 in my checking account and $5.81 in my savings account.

I don't have a mortgage. I don't eat out. I don't even have cable. No kids in school. No health club membership. I also don't have insurance. I know you're working on that for us now, and I appreciate that. But this unemployment bill needs to pass quickly because as I understand it, 20,000 Illinois residents will lose their benefits in the next few months and I am one of [them].

I spend 10 [or more] hours a day dividing my time between job searching and trying to drum up business for a small business I am trying to get started. .....

Senator, please, please, please pass this bill. If not for me whose credit has been ruined by nonpayment of a $300 bill, then for the 20,000 other Illinois residents who have much larger bills, mortgages and families counting on them.

How are we supposed to justify to the people we represent across America that we cannot take up and pass this extension of unemployment benefits? These unemployment benefits are paid from a fund that is collected from workers and their employers during the course of their work career. We put a little bit of money away each week on the chance that someone facing unemployment will need that money to get by.

These people are asking for an extension of their benefits from a fund into which they paid. It is deeply troubling to me that we can't help these people and thousands like them.

The Senator from Kentucky, Mr. McConnell, the Republican leader, came earlier and said the reason we can't do this is because we need to consider a few amendments to it.

Last week, the No. 2 man in the Republican leadership, Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, said his side, the Republican side, wanted amendments to the unemployment compensation bill on ``stuff that pertains to the subject--how do you pay for it, for example.''

I will tell you that the list of amendments given to us to add to the unemployment bill go far beyond what the Senator from Arizona said. For example, there is a group of Senators over there who want to get into a debate about immigration. This is an important issue, don't get me wrong, and it is one we should take up and will take up, probably not this year but the beginning of next year. But to hold up unemployment benefits for these hard-working Americans whose citizenship has never been questioned so we can debate immigration? I don't believe that meets the test Senator Kyl said we had to meet: that he would want amendments that pertain ``to the subject--how you pay for it, for example.''

Secondly, the Senator from Louisiana wants to offer an amendment about an organization called ACORN. You remember ACORN. Those are the folks who were caught on the videotapes counseling people on conduct that if it is not criminal should be criminal. Those employees of ACORN have been dismissed. I am sure they are being investigated, and they should be. What we saw on those tapes is not only troubling but could be actionable. I am not saying hold back at all with regard to ACORN.

In response to that, I offered an amendment calling for the GAO to do an investigation of all the Federal expenditures related to this agency. I want to find out if there is any other wrongdoing, whether we should cancel work that is being done, investigate payments that are being made. I want to get to the bottom of this. The House went further to cut off ACORN from any business with the Federal Government. They voted for that.

So to say this organization has been ignored is wrong. There is a lot that has been said and done about ACORN. The Obama administration cut them off on work on the census, and they are investigating their work in a lot of other areas. But to hold up this bill on unemployment benefits so we can again debate ACORN, how do you explain that to people in Louisiana and Illinois, folks who have lost their unemployment benefits? You have to say: Just hang on. We sure would like to send a check to take care of your family, but first we have to revisit the ACORN debate and go through all this all over again at some new level.

That, to me, is irresponsible. It is wrong for us to deny basic benefits that people need when they are out of work so that people can come to the floor of the Senate and argue about issues that have nothing to do with these poor unemployed people and the struggles they are going through.

There are literally six unemployed people in America for every open job. It is no wonder they are having a hard time finding employment. It is starting to turn around ever so slightly, and I hope it turns around quickly. That is the reality.

In the meantime, could we not come to agreement, Democrats and Republicans, that this safety net is critically important; that the people affected by it couldn't care less what our party labels are, couldn't care less about another debate about ACORN? All they want to do is get by another day, week, or month in the hope they can find that job.

Time and again the Democratic leader has offered our Republican friends an alternative coming forward: doing this bill, passing it quickly, and sending it out so we can extend up to 20 weeks coverage of unemployment benefits in some of the States hit hardest by unemployment. But time and again the Republicans on the other side of the aisle have said no, as they have on so many other issues.

They don't have an alternative to paying unemployment benefits. They know we have to do it. We should do it. But they want to debate other issues. They don't have an alternative to health care reform. They don't like what we are proposing, but they don't have an alternative. They basically want to stay with the current system in America, which is not good for us in the long run.

What we need is more positive efforts toward cooperation, and I hope we will achieve it. For the people and families in Illinois, they have my assurance that I will continue to work to extend unemployment benefits so more and more Americans, not only in my State but across the Nation, will have the peace of mind knowing they can get through this tough recession.

Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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