Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for hosting this critical Special Order to discuss the ongoing impact of enhanced unemployment benefits on Main Street businesses, the American workforce, and our economic recovery. Like many of my colleagues, I have seen ``help wanted'' signs all over my district. I have heard from local job creators about the difficulties they face in hiring workers they need just to stay open. Many have told me they can't even get people to show up for an interview. Enhanced Federal unemployment benefits made sense last year as a way to keep those who lost a job and to reduce the economic impact of government-imposed business closures and stay-at-home orders. But now, we are facing a much different situation today. Safe and effective vaccines are bringing us closer to defeating COVID-19. Employers have updated their facilities and operations so workers can safely return back to work. Businesses are fully operating. Now is the time to reconnect unemployed workers with their jobs, but enhanced jobless benefits are discouraging Americans from returning to work, making it impossible for businesses to hire. The Democrats' partisan $1.9 trillion spending bill extended supplemental unemployment benefits of $300 per week until September 6. At this level, nearly 40 percent of jobless Americans can make more on unemployment than they can by returning to work. Main Street businesses shouldn't have to compete with the Federal Government for workers.…”