On the recordJuly 1, 2010
Mr. Cardoza, I thank you for sharing with us what is not a funny anecdotal story or cartoon. I think from your words you are saying to the American people that their predicament is not a cartoon. And it is interesting when one of my colleagues comes to the floor of the House and poses a question, What do we say to the unemployed mother or what do we say to the person who is trying to manage themselves and pay their mortgage? Or what do you say to the caller that called in I believe from Florida this morning on C-SPAN and said he's laid off from a furniture store that closed and he is looking for work. And if I might paraphrase him, he said something about getting off our rears here in Congress and helping him. Why are we blocking his unemployment insurance? Now, I can quote a lot of statistics, and somebody said something about numbers of individuals who are unemployed. There are double-digit communities with high unemployment, 13 percent, 15 percent, 16 percent, high numbers among our youth in their twenties, recent college graduates, individuals who are likewise looking for work as those who have been employed and are now unemployed. Ladies and gentlemen, unemployment insurance is the prerogative, it is the owned by the worker who has worked. Unemployment insurance is what this is called. Why do the Republicans want to block it, why do the Republicans in the other body stand against unemployment insurance, this is an outrage. There is no explanation for it.
