On the recordJuly 21, 2010
the power of our democratic system is that everyone has a voice. The responsibility of that system is that once the votes are cast and counted, everyone must then accept and abide by the outcome. I deeply regret that too many of my Republican colleagues have yet to learn that lesson. Let me explain as clearly as I can what happened in the Senate yesterday and what is continuing to happen this morning. I want to explain it especially for the tens of thousands of Nevadans and 2.5 million Americans waiting for the emergency unemployment assistance they have been told is on the way. Yesterday afternoon, the Senate moved, at long last, to within one step--one simple-majority vote--of passing long-overdue help for the unemployed. This is emergency help for those who have exhausted their insurance benefits because these days it takes longer than ever before in recent memory to find a job. This is help for people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Although they are still out of work, it is not for lack of trying. These are people who have tried and tried and tried to find work, who scour job listings, who send out resumes, who fill out applications, who go to interviews, but who have not had any luck for weeks and months and, in some cases, multiple years. At last count, there is only one open job for every five desperate Americans to fill it.
