Dave Camp: “Here we go again. Another month, another bill extending unemployment benefits and extending the Federal deficit. Only…”

“Here we go again. Another month, another bill extending unemployment benefits and extending the Federal deficit. Only this time, the Democrats have waited now almost an entire month since these programs last expired to come up with a plan for how to extend them, leaving hundreds of thousands of long-term unemployed people without needed benefits. And it's all because the Democrats refuse to pay for these benefits, despite record Federal deficits. Madam Speaker, I'm one of many on this side who support helping long-term unemployed people. I voted for these benefits. Even though my home State of Michigan recently ended its 4-year run, the highest unemployment rate in the Nation, the pain suffered by our residents remains real. But the American people know it isn't right to simply add the cost of this spending to our already overdrawn national credit card. They want to help those in need. They also know that someone has to pay when the government spends money. That assistance must not put our fiscal house, as a Nation, in even worse shape. And we're already in terrible shape, thanks to the other side. The Democrats' trillion-dollar stimulus plan created millions of unemployed workers, instead of millions of promised jobs. We can and should cut that ineffective stimulus spending to pay for extending UI benefits, as my colleague, Mr. Heller of Nevada, has proposed. Stimulus hasn't worked.”