Barbara Boxer: “I came here in the hope that, as we begin work on this very important bill that is going to help reinvigorate our…”

“I came here in the hope that, as we begin work on this very important bill that is going to help reinvigorate our economy, we are making progress on getting Senator Bunning to step down from his objection to a short-term extension of the number of programs that are essential to the well-being of our Nation. Senator Bunning says he is objecting to an extension of unemployment benefits and health subsidies for the jobless and, by the way, highway and transit programs and other programs because he wants to offset that extension with cuts in funding from the Economic Recovery Act. I want to make the point that at a time when jobless rates are soaring, certain of these actions that we take are emergency actions. They are actions we take because the long-term unemployed are in big trouble. If we pay for this by slashing economic recovery funds that are already obligated or are about to go out, and they are about to start hiring people, then it seems to me we are taking one step forward and two steps back. I am willing to vote on this matter, and I hope Senator Bunning will lift his objection if we get to vote. It is not a problem. Let's vote on it. I have written to Senator Bunning on a couple of occasions on behalf of the 201,000 Californians who have already seen their unemployment insurance benefits expire if we don't renew this. This is a very dangerous precedent to set.”