On the recordMarch 1, 2010
as we all know, our economy is suffering. We have an unemployment rate that is currently at 9.7 percent. Furthermore, we have large portions of the population that are either underemployed or have dropped out of the workforce because of limited job prospects. There are a variety of factors that have contributed to this recession. The government's response so far has been largely ineffective, particularly with regard to employment, and I would argue that the best thing that we can do to address the issue of unemployment and having to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA and other types of benefits, all of which are considered in this underlying bill, is to get people back to work. That is fundamentally the very best thing that we can be doing-- focusing on how we create jobs, how we grow this economy, how we provide opportunities for those who have lost their jobs, who are underemployed, to get back into the workforce.
