Political Quotes

“I want to thank the gentleman from Maine for his ever- present leadership on the issue of unemployment insurance and also for fighting for jobs for Americans, because we're really here looking at two problems. One is the problem of making sure that those who are on unemployment are going to get benefits so they can survive, and the other one is the massive unemployment that we have in America. I mean, obviously, these matters are interrelated. Let me speak first to Mr. Michaud's motion to instruct conferees. This provision to remove Section 2123 from H.R. 3610, this section severely undermines the unemployment insurance system that nearly 8 million Americans rely on. It allows States to apply for waivers that would change how unemployment insurance funds are allocated, and it does this under the guise of strengthening reemployment programs. In reality, these proposed waivers would allow States to use unemployment insurance funds for purposes other than paying out benefits. Think about this. If people are on unemployment insurance, they need those benefits. They need full benefits. You don't want the State to find an excuse to siphon those benefits to some other purpose. And by allowing the use of unemployment insurance funds for purposes other than providing unemployment benefits to those who rely on them, we would be weakening a system that has provided assistance to unemployed Americans for decades. The rationale for the reallocation is deceptively camouflaged.…”