On the recordMarch 2, 2010
I am relieved that we are preparing to vote on this much-needed measure. I am disappointed that we have taken so long to get to this point. There is very little opposition in this Chamber to the extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits. Few question the crisis we would kick off in homes across this country if we fail to extend these benefits. In the State of Michigan, 135,000 of these workers face the end of their unemployment benefits. Each of these homes is already dealing with a tragedy--the loss of a job. In most cases, these are mothers and fathers who have done what we expect American families to do: work hard, do their best, try to put food on the table and a roof over their family's heads, and hopefully ensure a better life for their children. This quintessentially American quest has been derailed by forces totally outside the control of most of those affected. This extension means more than help to workers out of a job. It means help for our entire economy.
