Frederica Wilson: “It's now been 906 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on…”

“It's now been 906 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis. Thirty-seven percent of unemployed Americans have been without work for more than 6 months. That's 4.4 million people who haven't worked for at least a half year. Take a moment to imagine life without a job for 6 months. Imagine depleting your retirement savings to pay for your family's food and shelter. Imagine the pain of facing rejection again and again. As researchers around the Nation have demonstrated, employers simply do not want to hire the long-term unemployed. There's a stigma workers just can't shake. It's up to Congress to take action. It's time for us to focus on retraining and reemployment programs to ensure that we stop the establishment of a permanent underclass in America. The mantra of this Congress should be jobs, jobs, jobs. ____________________”