Extending Unemployment Insurance

Floor Speech

Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of workers, families, and middle class Americans across the Seventh Congressional District of Alabama and across this entire Nation who have lost their jobs as a result of the deepest economic recession since the Great Depression.

In my district of the Seventh Congressional District of Alabama and across this Nation, the number one issue is job creation. While some progress has been made in turning our economy around, there is still so much work to be done in order to encourage job creation. Recent reports indicate that the Nation's private employers created approximately 200,000 new jobs during November. While this number shows that our economy is slowly recovering and growing, we cannot forget about the millions of Americans who have been diligently searching for work but who have not been successful in doing so.

Congress must extend unemployment benefits for the hardworking Americans who have lost their jobs due to no fault of their own--rather, due to the economic downturn. These workers should also be given the necessary assistance to provide for their families during this difficult time. Nearly one-third of America's 14 million unemployed have had no jobs for a year or more. In fact, long-term unemployment data suggests that about 2 million people have used up the 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, but they still cannot find work.

Congress has never allowed emergency unemployment programs to expire when the unemployment rate has exceeded 7.2 percent. With our Nation's unemployment rate hovering around 9 percent, now is not the time to allow these essential benefits to expire.

In my home State of Alabama, unemployment and poverty rates have both increased dramatically in the wake of the most recent recession. In parts of the district that I represent, unemployment rates are as high as 19 percent. These persistently high unemployment numbers demonstrate the need for Federal unemployment assistance, and it remains a critical lifeline to many of the constituents I represent.

The Census Bureau states that unemployment benefits kept nearly 3.2 million Americans, including 900,000 children, from slipping into poverty last year. Without action, more than 2 million Americans will be cut off from unemployment insurance by mid-February of next year. The potential effects of this lapse in benefits would devastate millions of Americans and millions of households across this Nation.

We all understand that extending these unemployment insurance benefits is a temporary fix to a much larger problem. As Members of Congress, we must move quickly to adopt a comprehensive jobs plan that will aid businesses and communities in developing and growing. We must draft legislation that will promote an entrepreneurial climate and support American businesses globally. Now is the time that we must act. The American people want a comprehensive jobs plan. Until then, we have to extend unemployment benefits to help those millions of Americans who are desperately looking for work and can't find it.

I urge my colleagues to put partisanship aside. Party politics has no place when we're talking about the betterment and advancement of our Nation. Unemployed Americans, struggling families and communities across this Nation cannot wait. We must act now.

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