Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5618, Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act. If there is a single federal program that is absolutely critical to people in communities all across this Nation at this time, it would be unemployment compensation benefits. People cannot function without some means to subsist, while continuing to look for work that in many places in the country is just not there. Families have to feed children. Unemployed workers, many of whom rely on public transportation, need to be able to get to potential employers' places of work. Utility payments must be paid. Most people use their unemployment benefits to pay for the basics. No one is getting rich from unemployment benefits, because the weekly benefit checks are solely providing for basic food, medicine, gasoline and other necessary things many individuals with no other means of income are not able to afford. Personal and family savings have been exhausted and 401(ks) have been tapped, leaving many individuals and families desperate for some type of assistance until the economy improves and additional jobs are created. The extension of unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed is an emergency. You do not play with people's lives when there is an emergency. Unemployment is an emergency. Just ask someone who has been unemployed and looking for work, and they will tell you the same.…”