Unemployment Insurance in Nevada

Floor Speech

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, right now, thousands of Nevadans have the full-time job of looking for work. It has gotten worse for many since December 28 of last year, when emergency unemployment insurance benefits for many expired.

There are now over 2 million Americans, Mr. Speaker, who have been cut off from unemployment insurance because of Congress' failure to act. That includes 26,023 Nevadans. These are not numbers; these are real people.

Every week that Congress fails to act, it is projected that an additional 842 Nevadans will lose their benefits each week during the first half of 2014.

Nevada's economy has lost over $54 million because Congress has stalled; but I, along with many of my colleagues, have not forgotten about our constituents.

Today, Democrats will sign a discharge petition to force Speaker Boehner and the House Republicans to bring up a bill to extend unemployment benefits for all Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

These benefits are used to put food on the table, to put gas in the car, so that they can go look for an interview and to pay for rent. Extending these unemployment benefits used to be bipartisan.

On December 14, 2002, in his weekly radio address, then-President George W. Bush scolded Congress, saying, ``No final bill was sent to me extending unemployment benefits for about 750,000 Americans whose benefits will expire on December 28.''

He went on to say, ``These Americans rely on their unemployment benefits to pay for the mortgage or rent, food, and other critical bills. They need our assistance in these difficult times, and we cannot let them down.''

The unemployment rate in December 2002 had just hit 6 percent. Congress then extended unemployment benefits by a vote of 416-4. If it was an emergency then, it is an emergency now. It is time to do the right thing and extend unemployment insurance benefits for Americans.

It is an emergency for my constituents, like Alfordeen, who I met at a local Workforce Connection center as she searched for work.

It is an emergency for Monty, who recently signed up for Medicaid because of the Affordable Care Act. He is homeless now; and because Congress failed to act, his unemployment insurance has been cut.

It is an emergency for Tamika, who I brought as my guest to the State of the Union. She is an electrician, and she knows what it means to work hard, but has fallen on hard times and can't find work.

The Nevadans on unemployment insurance that I meet are scrambling to make ends meet, and no one wants to live on unemployment insurance; and no, Mr. Speaker, they are not lazy.

Despite repeated Democratic efforts, Republicans in Congress refuse to listen and have callously rejected restoring this vital economic lifeline that serves as a financial bridge for those who are looking for work, so this discharge petition is an extraordinary step.

But for my constituents, there is no time for politics, and there is no time for waiting. Action to create jobs and build an economy that works for everyone must start with renewing unemployment insurance benefits for those Americans who were laid off at no fault of their own. It is time to extend unemployment insurance now.

I encourage the Speaker, after this discharge petition is signed by Members, to bring up a vote so that we can provide this important lifeline to 2 million Americans, 26,000 Nevadans, families, and veterans who desperately need this benefit.

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