Date: 2011-12-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

First. you read about a mother and her child that has to move back into their familys residence. or her parents residence. These are now senior citizens. Then you tell me about someone whos actually going to be homeless. Then we hear about a person thats degreed. has the ability to contribute to the engine of this economy in science. and theyre unemployed. And then if you would. Mr. LEVIN. just look. Im on the floor with Mr. GARAMENDI. the gentleman from California. and we use this to show how flatlined our working and middle class have been in terms of the growth of their income. and we see the top percent of wealth right here shooting up to an enormous amountthat is the blue line. This is how the wealthy have progressed and grown. And then we hear our friends saying the poor little rich person. where the very rich person in this group. because Im not involved in class warfare. is saying we understand and were willing to have the burden of sacrifice with the benefit of living in this great country. And so when we look at this wealth. think about this woman who is saying she is near homelessness and think about the 160 million Americans that if we do not do a payroll tax cut. but think about. most of all. the 6 million Americans who will be left to homelessness in contrast to the enormous wealth that is on this poster board and the meager proposal of surtax on the 1 percent for 10 years. starting in 2013. to pay this off and to keep solvent Social Security. It is unbelievable that we would not rush to do this as we are nearing the holiday season. I am just noting for you. Mr. LEVIN. just to say that the powerful. passionate letters that you have read are volumes in terms of those who are seeking our help. And for anyone that has been to Occupy Houston or Occupy Wall Street or Occupy any city. if they talk to the people individually. they will know that these are simply hurting Americans who have lost their jobs who are seeking to come and seek opportunity. They want to work. and everyone that I have spoken to. the lady who is here with this home. 56 years old. I know that whether shes employed or not. the condition of her home suggests that she is in need. And the homeless persons. because they have no job. are in need. I dont believe that the wealthy that are speaking on this particular poster board would argue about the solution that you have come to and that you are advocating and that those who are writing in are saying. they are asking. just give me a lifeline and help me to survive. I am prepared to stay here. Mr. LEVIN. as you have indicated. to make sure that we do right by the people who are so much in need. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address the issue of extending unemployment insurance. We must not go home for the holidays if we cannot agree to extend unemployment insurance. With a national unemployment rate of 9.1 percent. preventing and prolonging people from receiving unemployment benefits is a national tragedy. As of today. in the City of Houston. the unemployment rate stands at 8.6 percent as almost 250.000 individuals remain unemployed. Indeed. I cannot tell you how difficult it has been to explain to my constituents whom are unemployed that there will be no further extension of unemployment benefits until the Congress acts. Whether the justification for inaction is the size of the debt or the need for deficit reduction. it is clear that it is more prudent to act immediately to give individuals and families looking for work a means to survive. 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. Unemployed Americans must have a means to subsist. while continuing to look for work that in many parts of the country is just not there. Families have to feed children. The American people are relying upon us to stand up for them when they are in need. This is not a time to take a vacation. go home to our families. and watch our unemployed constituents suffer through holidays. 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 longterm unemployed is an emergency. You do not play with peoples lives when there is an emergency. We are in a crisis. Just ask someone who has been unemployed and looking for work. and they will tell you the same. Currently. individuals who are seeking work find it to be like hunting for a needle in a hay stack. For every job available today. there are four people who are currently unemployed. You can not fit a square peg in a round hole and point fingers at the three other people who when that job is filled is left unemployed. Lets be realistic there are currently 7 million fewer jobs in the economy today compared to when this recession began. Although according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the State of Texas continues to have the largest yearoveryear job increase in the country with a total of 253.200 jobs. There are still thousands of Texans like thousands of other Americans in dire need of a job.