Judy Chu: “I rise today to call attention to the plight of millions of American families. Across the country, men, women, and…”

“I rise today to call attention to the plight of millions of American families. Across the country, men, women, and children are caught in the crosshairs of Republican political calculations. Instead of providing emergency relief to Americans laid off during this latest recession, a partisan Senate minority is blocking this vital aid. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle should be ashamed. Time and time again, when asked to solve our Nation's problems, they've instead shown why they've been known as the party of 'no,' and it couldn't come at a worse time. Throughout our country, we face the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. It's the legacy of 8 years of the Bush administration. My hometown of Los Angeles lost over 84,000 jobs this past year. That's the greatest decrease for any metropolitan area in America. Congressional Democrats want to confront this problem head on. That's why a majority of Senators have tried not once, not twice, but three times to temporarily extend unemployment benefits, because any economist will tell you that, in addition to helping individual families, the program stimulates the entire economy. But the obstructionists just don't care.”