Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to extend and expand the payroll tax cut and to fully extend unemployment compensation insurance immediately. The payroll tax cut and full extension of unemployment insurance are two of our best tools for strengthening our economic recovery. We must work without let-up to pass this legislation before year's end. Democrats are doing everything we can to create jobs and solve our unemployment crisis. Millions of Americans are still out of work, however, and looking for a job in the toughest economy since the Great Depression. Jobless benefits, which have been essential to millions of Americans as they search for a job, are set to expire at the end of this year. Congress has never failed to extend benefits when unemployment is this high. Unfortunately, right now, Republicans are refusing to fully extend unemployment insurance, despite our Nation's 9 percent unemployment rate. In extending benefits, we should not do any less for the recently unemployed than we did for those who were unemployed in the last year or two. That is why I introduced the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2011, which fully extends Federal support for unemployment insurance through 2012. Extending benefits doesn't just make sense for a person who has been laid off, it makes sense for the economy as a whole.…”