On the recordMay 21, 2003
For the life of me, I do not quite understand why the Republicans do not see the connection between having money in one's pocket, whether it is through a job or the unemployment insurance, how that does not effect an economic stimulus thrust. When you spend money, you stimulate the economy. Some of us may not believe in consumerism, but this is America and people buy stuff. I mean, they buy stuff all the time. If you do not have any money, you cannot buy anything; and buying stuff, whatever it is, leads to economic recovery. So extending unemployment benefits allows people to have money in their pockets to not only buy food and take care of their families but also buy what they need to survive which, of course, in the private sector helps increase, well, it may not be a profit margin right now but just may keep businesses from going out of business, especially in our neighborhoods which really are dependent on that type of commerce.
Source
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