Joe Cunningham: “the issue is to get people back to work and for those that cannot find work, it is to help them out. The other side of…”

“the issue is to get people back to work and for those that cannot find work, it is to help them out. The other side of the aisle opposed that. One of the problems we have had in the past, in the Senate, we have had gridlock. James Carville wrote in a memo to the then-leader Daschle that he recommended two things: one, that the Senate not have a budget; two, that they gridlock all House bills. The House passed an unemployment bill. It takes 60 votes in the Senate, unlike the House with a simple majority. Yes, we control the House and the Senate. We could pass the bill right here today. But in the Senate, the same Senate Democrats gridlock legislation, that would go forward in a bipartisan way. We need to pull together on both sides of the aisle to make sure that the people that do not have work, work. But even more important, instead of handing out dollars to individuals, we need to create the jobs, whether it is tax relief which the President has offered. Not only long-term, instead of just handing out money and having Davis-Bacon and unions reap the benefits of it, it creates jobs across the board and allows those same people, instead of having to receive benefits, will have a good job. The gentlewoman from Washington has stated clearly that they have received both State and Federal moneys. That runs out, and we have got to come together today to make sure that that happens. Put aside the partisanship, and let us pass this bill.”