Date: 2010-07-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. let me thank the gentlelady from Ohio. and Im very glad to follow on the theme that Congresswoman KAPTUR of Ohio spoke to and the note that she ended on. recognizing that we have to do more. There is pain out there. but to actually say to the American public that our President. President Obama and this administration with this Democratic Congress has created more jobs in the last 18 months than were created in the tenure of the last administration. I dont know how many times we have to say that. but allow me to say it one more time. that this administration. President Obamas administration with this Democratic Congress. has created more jobs than the last administration in their entire tenure. and that was 8 years. Let me also cite for my colleague and let me as well express my appreciation in joining the Congressional Black Caucus special hour that we have participated in and educated really the American public. and I thank you for your leadership. Chairman Bernanke spoke last week in a number of hearingsand I think its important to noteI know that many of our colleagues are either at hearings or they see the hearings. We try to twist and turn on our questions. If we dont like the answer. we try to throw it back at the witness. But the chairman of the Federal Reserve was very. very definitive when he said: It is important to invest in the economy. and if you want to use the term "stimulus." Id like to use the word "investment." is the way to go. and all of those who are concerned about deficit. all of us we want to keep a balanced budget in our own personal homes. He said: The most important thing is to keep this economy churning and to not be so concerned about deficits as opposed to investing in our economy. That investment has caused a churning of the economy. such that we see the growth of jobs. We see the private sector working. but yet we have obstacles. Those obstacles concern me. and thats why weve come to the floor of the House to let everyone know that the Congressional Black Caucus is fighting still on the cause of expanding job opportunity. It baffles me how long we had to work to get the unemployment extension to be passed by the other body. Clearly. unemployment insurance is not a handout. It is a trust that is established with a working American. When they work and they fall upon hard times. they are due an unemployment insurance to carry them over the bridge of difficulty. This bill that we passed was focused on the unemployment extension that finally got passed after constant advocacy by this caucus. after meeting with Senate leaders over a period of time by Chairwoman BARBARA LEE. after calling and prompting. that bill was passed. However. the component that would have added extra jobs. the component that would have provided youth jobs or summer jobsand what date is it today. July 26. It saddens me. it saddens me. I remember us standing in the heat of summer in the month of June. standing with the constituents of Congresswoman ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON. teenagers from this region. standing with us and making a simple plea. put us to work. let us work. The other body has stood as an obstruction. When I say that. let me clarify. The Senate Republicans have been very. very challenging. But what we just had a chance to pass involved providing tax relief to businesses and State and local governments to help them invest and create jobs. provide important tax cuts to put money back in the pockets of working families to help restore the flow of credit to enable small businesses to expand and hire new workers by extending the small business loan program. extending eligibility for unemployment insurance. COBRA. health care tax credits and others. and close tax loopholes for wealthy investment fund managers and foreign operations of multinationals. Work still to be done. and that kind of work will really provide for enhanced opportunities for our small businesses. Our colleague from Maryland was saying that why cant we pass this small business lending bill that would make a huge difference coming out of the summer months. getting our small businesses ready to be the backbone of America and hiring those who need it. But let me speak to the emotion of what is going on. if I may. to my friend and colleague from Ohio. and if I may. Madam Speaker. just comment a moment because it troubled me how long it took for the unemployment insurance. People actually fell off the flat Earth. They literally fell off. 2.5 million. before we were able to pass this insurance. but more importantly. can you imagine as they were counting their dollars and they were not getting any word that we had passed it. can you imagine the stress that anyone who was having to be responsible for family members and children felt. the pressure. the intensity. I dont know why anyone doubts that people are looking for work. Eight thousand people came to a job fair that I held last year. 10.000 came to another one that I held. But these are just pictures of everyday Americans around America who have been standing in line for jobs. for jobs. Does anyone have any sense that there is a need out there. that people are not serious. that we shouldnt have extended the unemployment as well as extend dollars to small businesses and provide them with lending opportunities? Does anyone not see that this is a serious issue when people are standing in the hot sun for long hours when there is a job fair? Many people will tell us that there are thousands that come out when anyone has a job fair. when anyone has it. and what I focused on was the government opportunities because in many instances were hiring. but let me just give some numbers that are so frightening. The Houston Crisis Center is seeing a startling increase in the number of suiciderelated calls this year. The economy and job losses are among the top reasons people say they need help. The Crisis Intervention Center of Houston noticed more calls were coming in. many of them related to unemployment. The executive director says they compared calls from January to June of 2010 to the same time period last year. 2009. and that it has been a 220 percent increase of suiciderelated calls. 1.446 suiciderelated calls this year. people saying I dont know where to turn. Unemployment insurance that we fought so hard for. that could have been passed over a month ago. the realism of them understanding that people are impacted because they dont know how theyre going to pay their mortgage. their rent. their food. college education for those whose children may still be in college. or other needs that they may have. medical bills. Let me just add this: according to foreclosure crisis on July 1. online publication. the people are stressed out from layoffs. actual or feared. and underemployment with salaries being slashed. The foreclosure crisis has taken a toll on the mental health of the people in no certain way. Take the story of Deanne Ross. for example. who was working full time. and she was a counselor dealing with the unemployed and helping them address their mental health situation. She was working with the national alliance dealing with mental illness and was a field operator. but she lost her job. Since that time. Ms. Ross. who is in her early forties and suffering from bipolar disorder. is battling urges to withdraw from social contact. We found this story on a foreclosure crisis Web site. Apprehensions about becoming homeless are haunting her. anxiety is crushing down upon her. She has five children to care for. All her life she has been hardworking and managing things. even with the physical challenge that she has had. and. therefore. now she finds herself unemployed. Does anyone get it? We need to pass a jobs bill to complement the hard work that you have already seen by this Congress and this administration in creating jobs. This is a public and private partnership. The private small businesses and large corporations who now are restraining themselves need to have confidence to invest in making and creating jobs. How do they do it? With the help of the Federal Government. by focusing on what we Democrats will be leading with. making it in America. emphasizing manufacturing. and that expands to other markets to allow people to not be in foreclosure. to not be without rent money. This is the way to go. Finally. Dan McCarthy of Magellan Health Services said. for many American workers. this financial stress. uncertainty. and anxiety can be significant. and it is important that they have places to turn for guidance and support. The services focus on managing benefits related to mental health. My key point is to dispel the myth that these are people who dont care. are not looking for work. dont need any resources. These are hardworking Americans. and it is important to note that they should look for support systems. Dont go this alone. Dont be alone when you are struggling to pay bills. There are many support systems in your own community. from the faith community to United Way. to various mental health associations. to your State unemployment offices. Dont handle this alone. Dont go it alone. But while you are working to survive. we in the United States Congress should do so. Let me close. Madam Speaker. by suggesting that there is much work left for us to do: creating public job initiatives involving the Department of Labor. Employment and Training Administration. the Corporation for National and Community Service. locally directed programs for youth summer jobs. To my disappointment. it is almost an embarrassment to stand on the floor of the House. This House passed it. and we cannot get the Senate that doesnt understand that the families of youth are standing in unemployment lines. and we cant pass a simple summer youth program or youth jobs of a billion dollars to put young people to work who may be providing for some extra income to these desperate families. locally directed funding. as I indicated. for our summer youth. enforcing the minority contracting requirements under the National Significance and National Corridor grants in an extension of the SAFETEALU. and strengthening apprentice and training programs. which I am working with in the city of Houston. expanding unemployment insurance. which we have done. and COBRA benefits. providing access to capital and technical assistance for capital for small businesses from SBA and MBDA. There is work to be done. and I would simply say that this effort tonight is important to educate our colleagues to call upon our Senate Republicans to think about people and to care about those who desperately need our help. I hope that we are inspiring our colleagues to be renewed in their vigor to fight for the jobless. and I hope that we are challenging Senate Republicans to recognize that they have a responsibility as well to the thousands and millions of individuals who are calling out to get jobs.