Political Quotes

“I thank both the gentleman and the gentlelady for yielding time on this very important issue. I am very grateful. I do rise in strong support of this rule for consideration of H.R. 4213, the Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act. This very important bill provides a critical boost for more than 2.5 million Americans across the Nation, including 6,000 Rhode Islanders right now who are struggling to find employment. Not only that, but for every $1 spent on unemployment benefits, $1.90 is put back into the economy. These benefits are crucial for working families as they search for new opportunities in a very tight job market. In my home State of Rhode Island, we have the country's fourth highest unemployment rate at over 12 percent. Through recovery funds, we have recently implemented Jobs Now Rhode Island, a job training program that in the past 2 months has successfully put more than 300 Rhode Islanders back to work. I recently met with some of these workers at Capco Steel. A couple had been out of work for a few months, while for others this was their first job in a few years. This visit reminded me that as Members of Congress we have the obligation not only to help create jobs, but also to give hardworking Americans another chance to continue their job search and provide for their families. I encourage my colleagues to pass this bill and help those who are most vulnerable right now during these trying times.…”