Charles Rangel: “Last Christmas the gift that we gave to the unemployed was the shock of their lives, as they thought that the Congress…”

“Last Christmas the gift that we gave to the unemployed was the shock of their lives, as they thought that the Congress would not extend the unemployment compensation. So this morning, I'm joining with Congressmen Stark, Doggett, Levin, and Crowley to make certain that we don't do that again this year. The opposition to the extension last year was due to a large number of Republicans truly believing--and voting against the bill--that these people really would rather receive unemployment checks than look for work. Of course it's more than just the salary when you are working. It's the pride and dignity of knowing that you are taking care of your family, you are responsible for putting food on the table, clothing on your children's backs, and all of those things that America has come to believe as just the normal way of life. With the poverty numbers growing so fast and the unemployment going up so fast, a lot of people are losing hope in terms of finding a job. As a matter of fact, it's oftentimes forgotten that in order to qualify for extended unemployment comp, you have to be qualifying for a job.…”