Hilda L. Solis: “here we go again. Last year, President Bush and the Republican Congress refused to extend unemployment insurance before…”

“here we go again. Last year, President Bush and the Republican Congress refused to extend unemployment insurance before it expired, leaving millions out in the cold. This year, they are, again, showing little interest in providing relief to those searching for jobs. To me, that is wrong. Despite modest gains in the economy, the job market remains abysmal. Over 1.1 million Californians remain out of work, looking for jobs. Long-term unemployment last month was the highest in 20 years, with over 20 percent of those without jobs looking for work for more than 6 months. This is especially true in my district where unemployment rates remain very high. In East Los Angeles, the area that I represent, the unemployment rate is well over 10.7 percent, and in the year 2001 it was 8.3, so it has gone up. In the city that I live in, in El Monte, it was at 6.7 in the year 2001. Now, it is at 8.7. It has not gone down. While the President hails the recent uptick in the economic figures, he fails to mention the unemployment among Latinos and other minorities which continues to rise. Let us leave no family behind and provide unemployment insurance benefits for all.”