Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this important legislation in order to provide additional needed assistance to the long-term unemployed. As my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will note…
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of this important legislation in order to provide additional needed assistance to the long-term unemployed. As my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will note today, this is an issue that truly matters to millions of Americans, and it's important that we pass this legislation today as our last act before we leave for the election campaign.
As data released just this morning shows, that need is rising. While the unemployment rate remains steady at 6.1 percent, the number of unemployed grew once again to a total of 9.5 million Americans. In the past year, 2.2 million Americans have been added to the ranks of the unemployed. Even more importantly, for purposes of this legislation before us today, the number of long-term unemployed, those who have been out of work for more than 6 months and who are in need of extended benefits, increased by 167,000, to over 2 million.
In my home State of Illinois, the numbers are, if anything, even worse. The current unemployment rate is 7.3 percent, and nearly half a million of my fellow Illinois citizens are out of work.
The people who would benefit most by this legislation are long-term unemployed people who want to work and are searching for a job, but not able to find one. Today's rising level of unemployment goes a long way to explaining why it is so hard for them to find a new job and why this additional assistance is needed today.
This legislation focuses the most additional benefits on workers and States where the unemployment rate is highest and where jobs are hardest to find. That sort of targeting is something Republicans have been calling for all this year.
Madam Speaker, I expect that passage today of this current extended benefits program will be bipartisan, just as we acted in a bipartisan way in June to create this temporary extended benefits program. Like the similar program we created after the 2001 recession and the 9/11 attacks, this program helps those who are out of work the longest, at a time when jobs are increasingly hard to find.
My colleagues should know this program continues the requirement that those benefiting from extended unemployment benefits had to have worked at least 20 weeks. This requirement has been in Federal law since 1981. That is why Americans were rightly concerned about proposals to eliminate that work requirement and allow 39 weeks or, under the legislation before us today, as many as 59 weeks of total unemployment benefits to be paid to those who have previously only worked for a few weeks.
The program we are expanding today and passing today maintains this commonsense ``20 weeks of work'' rule, which ensures balance between work and taxes paid in and benefits paid out.
Madam Speaker, I wish this legislation were not necessary, but today it is. The economic concerns affecting the stock and credit markets that we all see have real effects on real people with real jobs. This legislation says we will provide additional assistance to those who have been hurt the most and have been out of work the longest.
I particularly want to thank my colleagues Jon Porter of Nevada and Phil English of Pennsylvania, who have been leaders on this issue, urging the House to act. I know they cosponsored this legislation before us today.
Today's action is a useful step, but we need to do more to promote a stronger economy so that those who today need these benefits can return to their former work or find new, good-paying jobs to support their families. That task remains before this Congress and is something this Congress needs to refocus on in the months ahead.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, at this time I want to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter), who I note is not only a valuable member of this subcommittee, but has been a leader in calling for action by the House on extending unemployment benefits.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
I continue to reserve my time.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
I reserve the balance of my time.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, at this time it is a privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished Member from Pennsylvania, a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, and one who has advocated that the House act quickly in providing extended unemployment benefits and a cosponsor of this legislation, Mr. English.
I reserve the balance of my time.
We have no additional speakers. There may be other Members coming, but we're not aware of any additional speakers.
The gentleman has no additional speakers?
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Just a couple of weeks ago my friend Jim McDermott, the chairman of our subcommittee, and I were on the floor with our bipartisan child welfare legislation, legislation that is going to become law. At that time, I thought that would probably and likely be the last time I would be working with the chairman to manage important legislation before this House. But I want to thank Chairman McDermott for recognizing the urgency and the importance of bringing this important legislation to the floor.
The bottom line is there are Americans who are hurting today. Unemployment is up. The numbers that we saw this morning show that there are more Americans who are unemployed than there were last month. The State I represent, the State of Illinois, has a current unemployment rate of 7.3 percent. Half a million Illinoisans are out of work. This legislation will particularly help those Illinois constituents of mine who have been unemployed for a long time, they have exhausted their benefits, they have had a hard time finding a new job. But they still have to put food on the table, they still have to make ends meet, they still need to provide for their families. And this legislation will help ensure they have the help they need.
Again, I want to thank my chairman for not only his partnership, but his friendship, and say that it has been an enjoyable experience to work as his ranking member on this subcommittee.
And again, Mr. Chairman, I believe this will be the last time I speak before the House of Representatives unless we have a lame duck session. There are issues we do need to address in that lame duck session, and we need to find ways to continue to grow this economy. To me, that is cause enough to have a lame duck session after the elections. But if not, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for your partnership on this legislation which is so important to millions of Americans, almost 10 million Americans who today are unemployed looking for work. We want to help those who are looking for work.
This legislation deserves bipartisan support. I hope it passes unanimously. Madam Speaker, again, I urge bipartisan support. I urge an ``aye'' vote.
I yield back the balance of my time.
