Steve Cohen: “millions of Americans all over the United States are struggling to put food on the table and gas in their cars. Imagine…”

“millions of Americans all over the United States are struggling to put food on the table and gas in their cars. Imagine at the same time that these prices spike you lose your job and that your unemployment benefits run out simply because there are not enough jobs to go around. This has happened to 1.6 million Americans. They need our help. Last week, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to immediately extend unemployment insurance for an additional 13 weeks. Today, that bill will be included in the emergency supplemental. This important legislation deserves strong bipartisan support. With 325,000 jobs lost already this year and 3.8 million workers out of a job, it is imperative we take action now. We must continue to look for immediate solutions to our economic troubles. Extending unemployment insurance is one of the most cost-effective and fast- acting ways to stimulate the economy because the money is spent quickly. Madam Speaker, President Bush and his allies in Congress should drop their opposition to this bill so we can help millions of Americans who are struggling with this recession economy.”