J.C. Watts: “Christmas is coming and Americans are hurting. The economy is in a recession and employees are losing their jobs.…”

“Christmas is coming and Americans are hurting. The economy is in a recession and employees are losing their jobs. Markets need a boost so retirement security can once again be secure. John and Sally Doe back home in the heartland need our help. The House of Representatives passed a good economic security bill in October. It's now December 19th--and the Senate has yet to pass a similar bill to help get our economy back on track. The argument coming from the other body and the other side of the aisle is centered upon more benefits for the unemployed. So, here we are today--with a new bill to give more benefits to the unemployed. We have addressed our critics' concerns and included their suggestions in the legislation before us. If that isn't bipartisanship at its best, I don't know what is. This bill helps laid-off workers by providing a generous tax credit for Americans who have lost their jobs so they may buy health insurance. It extends unemployment benefits by thirteen weeks. It gives small businesses help so they may create more jobs. And we will give tax rebate checks to lower-income Americans and reduce the income tax for middle-class Americans. There are initiatives that achieve important goals; helping those who need immediate assistance, while creating new jobs and giving a boost to the economy. The president told the country this past weekend: if Congress doesn't pass an economic security package, 300,000 jobs could be lost.”