Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Ohio for highlighting what has to be our focal point as we return to the Senate, and that is the unemployment picture across America and the desperate situation many families are facing. As I visited my home State of Illinois, I found what the Senator did in Ohio, that many people have been desperately trying to find jobs for a long time and it is becoming increasingly difficult. The longer it goes on, the more difficult it becomes. It turns out the national statistics, which I read over the weekend, suggest that it is primarily males who are out of work--not exclusively, but 60 percent males, 40 percent females--and more and more not in minority populations. They are having a difficult time. I am glad the Senator from Ohio focused on getting us back on track as we should be on this issue. I read with interest when Republican Leader McConnell wrote an opinion article in the Washington Post yesterday. One line in that article struck me particularly and I wish to read it. Senator McConnell said, ``Job creation should be a no-politics zone.'' I would like that to become our slogan for the month of September. I hope both parties will live by it. If we do, I think we can achieve some things and surprise the American people who have just about given up on us. Take a look at the numbers across the board. They say 12 or 13 percent of the American people think favorably of Congress.…
On the recordSeptember 6, 2011
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