Witness Wednesday: Faces of the Unemployed

Floor Speech

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, in the United States, we have always had a bipartisan tradition of assisting fellow hardworking Americans who have fallen on hard times--until now. As they are looking for their next job, we used to make sure that they had assistance through unemployment insurance to cover their basic needs. That is why yesterday I stood with Congresswoman Dina Titus, Donna Edwards, Gwen Moore, and nearly a dozen group advocates for what we are calling ``Witness Wednesdays.'' We all read stories about real people, submitted by them, who are struggling since their unemployment insurance has expired.

During that event, the National Women's Law Center released a study with some very sobering statistics. Women, particularly older women, women of color, and women heads of households, are deeply affected by unemployment, as are their children by the lack of emergency unemployment insurance benefits.

Last year, in my State of Illinois, more than 140,000 children lived in households headed by a long-term unemployed parent. Also, in my State, by the end of the year, nearly a quarter-million people will be left without benefits they need to meet their families' basic needs if we don't renew emergency unemployment insurance.

These are real people and real families behind these numbers. These are people looking for jobs. I am going to read four stories from Illinoisans who have suffered setbacks as they look for the work they need--for us to renew unemployment insurance without any further delay.

Chris from Glenview, Illinois, says:

My husband and I will never recover financially and are praying we will not lose our home. I don't think I will ever be able to retire, which is concerning as I have health problems. My 28-year-old son is still living at home because he was unemployed for over a year and is now serving coffee for minimum wage. He has a bachelor's degree from Loyola University, and between his student loans and our parent loans, we will all be in debt for the rest of our lives. We are not alone. I know of so many who are struggling as we are.

Sue from Chicago says:

Due to new management at the HIV/AIDS agency where I worked for over 10 years, I was fired on May 23 in order for them to save money. I am 58 years old, have an auto-immune liver disease that limits me physically and requires regular health care from specialists, as well as six medications. I have no savings and retirement is a laughable matter. Because I had no warning that this was going to happen, I am now looking at having no income, no health, and having to move from Chicago to downstate Springfield, where the cost of living is much lower, though job prospects are dismal.

Dinah from Chicago says:

I am losing my hair, apartment, and car. I have borrowed from everyone in my family, hoping to pay them back soon. I have worked since 1993 and am now unemployed. Soon I will be in a shelter, car repossession, and bald. I am looking for work. I have been on several interviews but so far no luck.

And Celia from Chicago says:

I had a job interview in December 2013, about the time my unemployment ran out. I really wanted this job. It was not just the fact that I would be able to pay bills; the work would be rewarding. Unfortunately, the tension I felt when it was clear that I had to get this position, that there would be no extension of benefits, caused me to freeze up at the interview when asked to display my skills. This had never happened to me. I am usually the type to have no problems once I land the interview.

My confidence is way down. I am 62. I have no income and can't seem to find decent jobs to even apply to. I have had to regularly take money out of my retirement savings in order to stay out of debt. The worst thing about this time after a good career is to feel dropped, disappeared, and no longer of value. There is a dry feeling, dusty, of everything being cheap and on sale and no way to get back. I am ashamed of being out of the work world.

Chris, Sue, Dinah, and Celia are 4 of nearly 5 million Americans who will continue to suffer and struggle if we don't renew emergency unemployment insurance by the end of this year. We should vote and pass the bill to renew unemployment insurance without any further delay.

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