Barbara Boxer: “we have heard all these glowing figures from the other side of the aisle about this economy. I want to give a little…”

“we have heard all these glowing figures from the other side of the aisle about this economy. I want to give a little dose of reality. Today the unemployment insurance extension runs out. This Senate refused to act. I don't know how many times Senator Cantwell has made that unanimous consent request. In my State, it is estimated if unemployment benefits are not extended, 314,344 workers will lose benefits in the first 6 months of the year. This is outrageous. This is the first time I can ever remember where a political party in charge could care less about people who are unemployed. Look at the record here. This is real. Let's go back to the Hoover administration, when there was a decrease in job creation. During every other administration--Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton--private sector employment increased. Not now. Here we are at a moment when people are running out of their unemployment extension. I will read you a letter written by Kathleen Fontana of Scotts Valley, CA: Dear Members of Congress: I am a single parent of two teenage boys and unemployed and unable to apply for the extension of UI. I was laid off July 2, 2004 . . . after 38 years with TWA. Needless to say, I am 60 years old, having been forced to live off my home equity loan in order to make ends meet.…”