On the recordDecember 13, 2011
I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this outrageously partisan and unfair bill. The clock is ticking; working families are worrying; and my Republican friends are playing political games. This bill cuts unemployment benefits for hardworking folks who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. My home State and district contain some of the hardest-hit families and communities in this country, and it is unfair to blame these folks for the economic hard times they are experiencing. This bill proposes drug testing for unemployed workers drawing from insurance funds they have paid into. That is unfair and insulting. I don't see anyone in the Republican majority demanding drug testing for folks who receive oil and gas subsidies. The President will veto this bill if it ever reaches his desk. This political game that's being played is just another round of the brinksmanship we have seen time and again this year. We need to pass a clean extension of the payroll tax cut for working Americans. We need to pass a clean extension of the unemployment insurance for those who have lost their jobs. We need to pass a clean extension of the SGR doc fix so Medicare patients will know their doctors will be there for them. We need for my Republican friends to stop playing political games with people's lives. I urge my colleagues to vote against this partisan bill.
