A Discussion About Jobs

Floor Speech

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. First of all, let me thank the gentleman from California for organizing this hour, along with the gentlelady from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez), and I want to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Ohio and join with you, well, frankly, out of frustration in terms of the kind of opposition that we're seeing in the United States Senate on an issue that's so important to people who, through no fault of their own, have found themselves in a situation where they are unemployed.

I think during this Bush recession as we persevere through the Bush wars and the Bush financial collapse, when unemployment has hit this country hard, when America loses $17 trillion in wealth and assets from March

of 2007 to February of 2009, you begin to see why Americans are so frustrated with these circumstances, and while this administration under Barack Obama has created 6 million new jobs, the frustration remains amongst the American people.

In the midst of all of this, to deny unemployment benefits to those who are most in need, especially as the gentleman from Ohio has pointed out when we know that every dollar we spend in unemployment benefits creates $1.61 in the economy because the need is there to spend.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt said it best about our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. They are frozen in the ice of their own indifference; frozen in the ice of their indifference to people who are without work; frozen in their icy indifference between the need to invest in America and make things here in America and put this country back to work; frozen in an indifference that has them preoccupied politically and obsessed with blocking every item of the Obama agenda, even if it means providing unemployment to those who need it, even if it means providing health care to those who have had their policies rescinded or have found themselves in a situation because of a preexisting condition where they were denied coverage.

This is the kind of thing that has frustrated Americans. I am proud to be associated with the gentlemen who have come to this floor this evening to speak out on behalf of their constituents, speak out on behalf of the administration, and point down the Hall where they need to come and work. More than 314 bills that have passed the House of Representatives have gone unattended to down in the United States Senate and, most importantly, including unemployment benefits.

Stay in over the weekend. Do your work. Put America back to work. Provide those with the benefits that need them so that we can keep this economy going and so that we can restore the faith in the American people and their government.

I thank the gentleman from California for organizing this important hour on this very timely and important issue and thank the gentleman from Ohio for joining him.

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