The unemployment rate now stands at 8.5, a jump of 3.6 percentage points since the downturn began over 15 months ago.

Do you have any sense?

After eight years of George Bush's leadership, this country inherited a series of records.

I am particularly concerned by the long duration of unemployment faced by a great number of workers.

I believe that the VCF would provide the flexibility to properly and expeditiously handle claims from workers and community residents with varying circumstances and degrees of economic loss.

I believe that we must develop a comprehensive solution to address the medical care and economic losses of the thousands of rescue and recovery workers, community residents, and students whose health has been harmed by exposures related to 9/11.

I just want to welcome the Postmaster General and express my support for the Postal Service and H.R. 22.

We are helping the financial institutions. We should also help the consumers.

I thank the gentleman for his concern, but we have had well over 4 hearings on this legislation over a 2-year period.

How in the world can it be justified to the American people that they should have to wait until July 2010 until they get relief of these practices?

For too long, the playing field has been tilted against the American consumer as they have battled against unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive practices.