Extension of Unemployment Benefits

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentlelady from Ohio for yielding, thank her for taking this Special Order, and rise in strong support, as the House has already done, saying that we remember those who are unemployed through no fault of their own.

Nearly 2.5 million out-of-work Americans are without unemployment insurance today. That means they don't have dollars to buy food, they won't have dollars to pay their mortgage, they won't have dollars to buy gas to even look for a job because of one reason: Republicans are blocking those benefits in the United States Senate, period. It's the only reason. We've passed it.

Several Republican Members of Congress and candidates have suggested that unemployment insurance makes Americans too lazy or uninterested in looking for work. This is at a time, frankly, when five unemployed Americans are looking for work for every one job that is available.

One Republican Member of the House even asked, ``Is the government now creating hobos?'' Is the government creating hobos for those, who through no fault of their own, are unemployed. Why? Because the economy was put into a deep spin in the latter part of the Bush administration. If you believe, as I do, that the unemployed are suffering from an economic crisis they did nothing to create, then we owe them a strong policy on job creation. We owe them something better than the failed Bush policies Republicans want to return to, the same policies that resulted in the worst jobs record since Herbert Hoover.

We owe the unemployed a hand, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because economists agree that there are few more effective ways to stimulate local economies than extending unemployment insurance. Why is that? Because when somebody is unemployed and has no dollars and they get dollars, they spend them. They buy food. They buy prescription drugs, they buy other items for them and their families, they buy gasoline for their cars. As they do, they help the economy grow. Failing to give them the resources to support their families also undermines our economic situation.

My Republican friends claim that they are for extending unemployment insurance, but simply believe it needs to be paid for. However, frankly, such a claim rings hollow. Because, after decades of treating unemployment insurance as emergency spending, when they were in charge, when no Democrat could determine what came to the floor, they passed unemployment insurance when Bush's failing economy had large numbers of unemployed, and they didn't pay for it.

Both parties, dating back to President Reagan, have passed unemployment insurance unpaid for. Why? Because it's an emergency. It's an emergency not to have a job. It's an emergency not to be able to support yourself and feed your family. It's an emergency when through no fault of your own all of a sudden the boss says, I'm sorry, I can't keep you on the payroll because I can't afford to. That is an emergency.

But at the very same time they claim we can't afford $34 billion for the unemployed, which will go right into the economy to stimulate and try to grow our economy and create jobs, they are pushing for a deficit-busting $676 billion in extended tax cuts for the wealthiest in America. Think of that.

We cannot have $34 billion for those who are unemployed and struggling in our society, but guess what? For those of us who are not struggling in our society, you get $676 billion and, guess what, we don't have to pay for that. How does anybody think that makes sense? How does anybody think that's a moral judgment to make in our society.

Republican leaders are even claiming that tax cuts should never be paid for, and in the face of all evidence to the contrary, that tax cuts don't add to the deficit. Alan Greenspan, of course, put the lie to that. He probably shouldn't have testified that the tax cuts would save money. In fact, he has urged us not to cut taxes. My own view is that for middle-income Americans who are working now and struggling and trying to keep their families afloat, we need to continue those tax cuts.

Why? So we could continue to grow our economy and not put them deeper in a hole. This is a political party, on the other side, that wants to reiterate and return to the Bush-era fiscal thinking that wiped out a record surplus of $5.6 trillion and replaced it with deep debt, large annual deficits, lost jobs and the worst economy since the Depression.

Republicans have made their priorities crystal clear: Billions for the well off, but no help for the longtime unemployed.

Sixty-two percent of the American people reject that reasoning and the neglect of families in need through no fault of their own. As we have in the past, let's help those families and our economy at the same time. Let's extend the unemployment benefits.

Again, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for taking this time to focus on this issue. Hopefully, hopefully, the other body and the Republican Members of the other body will see their way clear to making sure that Americans who have worked hard, played by the rules, and through no fault of their own are unemployed, will get the help they deserve and need, and that will help our economy as well as help those families.

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