Mary Jo Kilroy: “Today I rise to call on my colleagues, and particularly my colleagues in the Senate and those Republicans, to give much…”

“Today I rise to call on my colleagues, and particularly my colleagues in the Senate and those Republicans, to give much needed relief to 15 million out-of-work Americans and extend unemployment compensation insurance benefits. It is unprecedented not to do so at a time of high unemployment, over 10 percent in my district. And I take strong issue with comments that the unemployed don't want to work, that they aren't looking for jobs. They do. They want to pay their bills. They want to support their families, make those utility payments, put food on their table, send their children to college. But right now I have talked to anguished, hardworking men and women who have lost jobs when their factories closed and have been looking continuously for work. It's not yet there. They are looking for these jobs, but they need this help now. It is time that we extend unemployment compensation and give these hardworking citizens the help that they need.”