When folks lose a job through no fault of their own, the least we ought to do is extend a life line.

Threats of default on our debt and threats to shut down the government only set back our economic recovery and cost us more jobs.

We must stop the blame-the-victim approach of just blaming unemployment on the unemployed.

The unemployment rate in my state, 8.5 percent, stands higher today than at any time in the last quarter of a century.

Let's hope that this hearing is just the first step in forging a stronger consensus that we must not abandon the millions of our neighbors who depend on unemployment insurance.

And in that circumstance, what will be the effect if the effort last week by Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee to slash the Workforce Investment Act by 75 percent--almost eliminate it--what will the effect be on employment…

I yield 4 minutes to the former chair of this Subcommittee on Human Resources, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott). Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill to renew the Nation's child welfare programs…

I would yield myself 15 seconds to say that under Democratic leadership we extended the supplemental TANF program that Governor Rick Perry was so proud about in 2001. We extended it four times. The only reason that it existed in the spring…

I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, the chairman, Mr. Davis, is correct. We have worked on this together. We have participated in hearings and have learned together and cooperated on this very important subject to which we may bring…

I yield 2 minutes to my colleague from California (Ms. Bass), one of the leaders on this subject of foster children, who came and testified to our committee based on her long experience working in the State of California in the assembly on…

I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, this is a bipartisan bill, which I fully support, but it is important to understand what this bill does and what it does not do. It is important to understand which provisions we agree upon and which…

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the House should approve this important bipartisan legislation today. To fail to approve this modest extension would cause even more people to suffer with the expiration of these…

I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, some in this House have suggested earlier in the year that the programs embodied in this legislation, and everything else that opens opportunities through government support from Pell…

I thank the gentleman. I think it's clear that this resolution is just not my cup of tea, but I can tell you if we followed the path that was just recommended, Republicans could drive us deeper into recession or even depression. It's as if…

I believe that focusing on our infrastructure, our roads, bridges, our schools, focusing on what is happening inside our schools with so many teachers threatened with dismissal around the country with the cutback in State and local…

Yes, sir. We are one of the central planners that the chairman was referring to, and I have concern with this implementation timeline that there will be problems in the near term.

As we take up this question of how to reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program I think we should focus on two goals: helping able-bodied recipients find the work that they need, while protecting the safety net for…

We should be concerned about strip clubs or any abuse of this system and see that those who abuse these programs do not receive assistance, whether they are a pharmaceutical manufacturer or an individual welfare recipient.

We are caught up in the millions and the billions, quite appropriately. But this is about looking into the face of one child who is left homeless on the streets because there is no protection, or is one of the four children in this country…

This Republican ploy is too clever by half. At the very same time Republican Senators are filibustering against bringing up this proposal in the Senate, the House Republicans are insisting on bringing it up here so they can vote it down…

You know, yesterday when the Speaker failed to secure the votes for his misbegotten deal, I thought all these Republicans would need to get under way today was a professional physical therapist to help heal the twisted arms, the sprains…

My neighbors in Texas are saying work together to resolve this crisis without jeopardizing Medicare and Social Security. Adopt a balanced approach that balances the budget by closing some tax loopholes at the same time we cut spending. But…

Only a year ago, Republicans were using every trick in the book to stop any Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And you know, they never really stopped. The party of Wall Street bailouts, of Big Bank buddies, remains determined to deny…

if we could do something to prevent just one of these horror stories that will take place in the next 6 hours or the next 3 hours or the next 2 hours, we would want to do that.

I have just recently filed legislation concerning the TANF supplemental grants, which were part of the original 1996 law that are very important in Texas and 15 other States in providing services.