Unemployment in America

Floor Speech

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. At a time when Americans are not really deeply concerned about investors in European markets and what will happen to them upon Greece or Italy or somewhere like that going belly-up, most Americans are fixated on one problem, ladies and gentlemen. It's a very personal problem. That problem is unemployment right here in America.

Now, while we are pondering the difficulties that investors may face because of efforts to prop up central banks in Europe, people are hurting out here. People, including wives or husbands of unemployed spouses, are suffering. They're suffering as we close in on the holiday season when they see so many out doing for their families and they themselves, having been unemployed, most of whom have been unemployed for at least 6 months, many for 2 years, they're looking and they're feeling this holiday spirit but in a bad way. They're regretful of the fact that they're not able to fully participate in this part of the American Dream doing for others, buying Christmas gifts.

In fact, people are worried about whether or not their unemployment insurance will be there for them after the beginning of the year. They realize that they're closing in on the cut-off date for expiration of the long-term unemployment benefits. And they're worried about that, not about investors and how they might fare in terms of European countries not being fiscally solvent, allegedly.

So, Mr. Speaker, every day it seems like I read another report from economists telling us how important it is to extend unemployment benefits to help our fragile economy recover. And there's no doubt about helping millions of unemployed Americans during the worst downturn since the Great Depression, which was caused by the very investment bankers that have been discussed today that might be hurt because of European shenanigans. It's mind-boggling.

They are the ones that actually kicked this cesspool that we're in off. And then they got bailed out, but they're not willing to allow the very Tea Party, Grover Norquist Republican parties who they control, they're not willing to let them extend unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term unemployed unless there's a penalty involved.

They can't bring themselves to fund it. They don't want to do it.

As the holidays near, economics should take a backseat to our basic humanity. What about our commitment to each other? We're all in this together; but unfortunately, the 47 percent of millionaires who populate the House of Representatives don't have that same concept of knowing what it is to hurt when you've been unemployed for such a long time and when money is not coming in. They don't relate to that. We've got nearly 14 million unemployed workers, and about five workers are applying for each job that is available. So, for Congress to think about going home to celebrate the holidays with their families and leaving these people out with no hope is, indeed, a great tragedy.

Source