Joe Baca: “we have only three more days to provide an extension of unemployment benefits before millions of hard working men and…”

“we have only three more days to provide an extension of unemployment benefits before millions of hard working men and women lose their only remaining way to put food on the table. Congress created the temporary extension of unemployment benefits last year in response to continuing poor economic performance. The need has only increased since then! The total job loss in the Bush economy has risen to a staggering 2.5 million private jobs since the President took office. Instead of doling tax cuts to the wealthy and allowing corporations to steal their employee's pensions, our government should be granting another extension of unemployment benefits. These are benefits that millions of Americans are depending on to pay for groceries, utilities, and rent. The unemployment rate is now at 6 percent, and still climbing. In many states, like California, the rate is even higher. Yet, many of these hard working Americans have already exhausted their unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Americans are finding themselves without jobs! Without health insurance!! The only thing they are finding is a growing sense of frustration, despair, and fear of their government. Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my disappointment at the administration's and the Republican Congress' economic policy, a policy that leaves the working class and our nation's minorities behind. We need an extension of unemployment benefits now!”