Political Quotes

“I rise to talk about an issue we are going to be voting on today, thank goodness. We are going to be voting on an extension of unemployment insurance, which is something many of us in the Senate have tried to pass for many weeks now. We have been blocked by the Republican side of the aisle. We are finally at a point now where we think we can get the votes today to extend unemployment insurance. It is badly needed. You don't have to be a Senator or a Member of Congress to have heard from people all across this country about what this means to them. Those of us who are serving in the Senate have received letters, e-mails, phone calls, and other communications from people within our States. In Pennsylvania, the people have made it abundantly clear to me and my office over many weeks now about how urgent a problem this is in their lives. This isn't about some complicated, remote issue; this is an issue of life and death, in some instances. But for most, it is an issue of getting by every week, making ends meet, paying bills, providing health care for their children, those who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, being able to have the dignity that comes from providing for your family. We know we have more than 14 million Americans out of work. In Pennsylvania, we have over 591,000 people out of work. If that is not a record, it is very close to one. I know it is a high for the last quarter century in Pennsylvania.”