The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2008” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H10808-H10814 on Oct. 3, 2008.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2008
Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6867) to provide for additional emergency unemployment compensation, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6867
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL FIRST-TIER BENEFITS.
Section 4002(b)(1) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``50'' and inserting
``80''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``13'' and inserting
``20''.
SEC. 3. SECOND-TIER BENEFITS.
Section 4002 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008
(26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Special Rule.--
``(1) In general.--If, at the time that the amount established in an individual's account under subsection
(b)(1) is exhausted or at any time thereafter, such individual's State is in an extended benefit period (as determined under paragraph (2)), such account shall be augmented by an amount equal to the lesser of--
``(A) 50 percent of the total amount of regular compensation (including dependents' allowances) payable to the individual during the individual's benefit year under the State law, or
``(B) 13 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount (as determined under subsection (b)(2)) for the benefit year.
``(2) Extended benefit period.--For purposes of paragraph
(1), a State shall be considered to be in an extended benefit period, as of any given time, if--
``(A) such a period is then in effect for such State under the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970;
``(B) such a period would then be in effect for such State under such Act if section 203(d) of such Act--
``(i) were applied by substituting `4' for `5' each place it appears; and
``(ii) did not include the requirement under paragraph
(1)(A) thereof; or
``(C) such a period would then be in effect for such State under such Act if--
``(i) section 203(f) of such Act were applied to such State
(regardless of whether the State by law had provided for such application); and
``(ii) such section 203(f)--
``(I) were applied by substituting `6.0' for `6.5' in paragraph (1)(A)(i) thereof; and
``(II) did not include the requirement under paragraph
(1)(A)(ii) thereof.
``(3) Limitation.--The account of an individual may be augmented not more than once under this subsection.''.
SEC. 4. PHASEOUT PROVISIONS.
Section 4007(b) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``paragraph (2),'' and inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (3),''; and
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) No augmentation after march 31, 2009.--If the amount established in an individual's account under subsection
(b)(1) is exhausted after March 31, 2009, then section 4002(c) shall not apply and such account shall not be augmented under such section, regardless of whether such individual's State is in an extended benefit period (as determined under paragraph (2) of such section).
``(3) Termination.--No compensation under this title shall be payable for any week beginning after August 27, 2009.''.
SEC. 5. TEMPORARY FEDERAL MATCHING FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF
EXTENDED BENEFITS FOR STATES WITH NO WAITING
WEEK.
With respect to weeks of unemployment beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on or before December 8, 2009, subparagraph (B) of section 204(a)(2) of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note) shall not apply.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) In General.--The amendments made by sections 2, 3, and 4 shall apply as if included in the enactment of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008, subject to subsection
(b).
(b) Additional Benefits.--In applying the amendments made by sections 2 and 3, any additional emergency unemployment compensation made payable by such amendments (which would not otherwise have been payable if such amendments had not been enacted) shall be payable only with respect to any week of unemployment beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
Mr. RANGEL. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, this might be anti-climatic. The House, for weeks, and indeed days, in the past hours, have attempted to save the free world from a fiscal disaster. We have bailed out the banks and those who held mortgages. At the same time, we provided for energy extensions, we provided tax breaks for those people that tax provisions have expired. We provided for hurricane relief, for mental health. So over $1 trillion is out there for this House to ease the pain of millions of Americans.
While we were dealing with these gigantic powers, we overlooked the fact that over the last 12 months the number of unemployed workers has jumped by over 2 million, leaving 10 million Americans struggling for work. These are not ordinary Americans. These are hardworking people that raise their family with some degree of dignity that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
So the falling sky as relates to the fiscal situation we find today, so many forget that these people do not have the resources to put food on the table; to pay their rent and mortgages; to keep their kids in school; to meet their medical expenses, or even to pay for the increased price of gasoline.
One member of the committee and of this Congress, Dr. McDermott, has never let us forget, no matter how big the problem we are trying to do, in terms of looking for alternatives to fossil fuels, he has dedicated his life to make certain that these faceless people who have lost their jobs, that America and this Congress attempt to provide some compensation.
We can't return their dignity. In many cases, we can't return their homes. But we can help.
I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to yield the remainder of my time to Dr. Congressman McDermott to see fit how he yields the remainder of time assigned to us for this purpose.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. 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.
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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.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his dedication to this issue and pushing it at all the meetings so we finally got it on the floor one last time.
For the last 2 weeks we have been talking about Wall Street, but it is time to turn our attention to Main Street, to all the decent, hardworking people who play by the rules but lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
Our economy has lost jobs for the last 9 months in a row, including 10 million Americans now unemployed and unable to find work. Today we got the figures and found out last month the economy lost 159,000 jobs. That is the biggest 1-month job loss in more than 5 years. In my home State of Washington, the unemployment rate has increased by nearly 30 percent over just the last 5 months.
Today we face a simple choice: Are we going to help these workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, or are we going to sit on the sideline and watch them suffer? This bill says we can and we must help.
The legislation provides another 7 weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every State, plus an additional 13 weeks in high unemployment States who have more than 6 percent. This assistance will not cost a penny, because it really comes from the unemployment trust funds that we have already collected.
Our economy has lost 760,000 jobs this year, nearly 1 million more workers have joined the ranks of unemployment since Congress provided the last extension of unemployment benefits in June, and the number of States with high unemployment has doubled. If we don't act today, nearly 800,000 Americans will exhaust their benefits in the next few weeks. Even if you don't care about how these people feed their families, at least consider how much the economy will deteriorate if they stop buying goods and services.
I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote to extend unemployment benefits for people who are suffering in this country.
I reserve my time.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. 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.
Mr. PORTER. Madam Speaker, I would like to compliment our chairman and ranking member and other Members of this body who have worked very hard to try to help families and working individuals across the country.
I would like to talk a little bit about the State of Nevada and some of the challenges that we are facing. State economists today say that they expect that next year our unemployment rate in Nevada should rise to about 8.6 percent and stay there through 2010, a striking example of why we need to pass this legislation. As a Congress, we have failed to pass a comprehensive energy bill, which has caused us serious challenges in Nevada. But let me talk about some of the specifics.
Individuals are not traveling to Nevada as they used to, although now is the time to travel. We have some of the best bargains in the world. But I can assure you that because of the cost of living, the cost of fuel, with the highest foreclosure rate in the country in my district alone, we are having some major impacts occur on our families. We need to find a way to help these families immediately, and I applaud Congress for its actions today, for the relief package for millions of Americans. This is one more step to help those working families.
As I mentioned, we are facing serious economic challenges in Nevada. We have had three bank failures to date, and I have heard from numerous families over and over again and their neighbors and friends as to the impact of the bank foreclosures.
We need to find additional action. This is it. Again, I applaud my colleagues here in Congress for having the foresight, and to the chairman, I appreciate it.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).
(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, this morning a jobs report came out. It paints a truly devastating picture for the American economy and for American families.
In September, we had the biggest 1-month job loss in over 5 years. Long-term unemployed rose dramatically, up 167,000, to a total of 2 million; 775,000 people will exhaust the first emergency extension this month alone, over 1 million by the end of the year, unless we act. New claims for unemployment are at a 7-year high. And I point this out finally, the statistics are startling. Let's look beyond the statistics to the people involved. In total, there are now 9.5 million people in our country looking for work, the most since 1992.
I simply would ask those who would vote against this, come down to the floor and explain not only to their district, but the American people, why they would not vote ``yes'' on the extension of unemployment compensation.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Sutton).
Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this very important matter.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, which we must pass here today. After 8 years of failed policies and economic pain, the families in my district and across Ohio are trying to hang on.
Since 2001, 1,087 Ohio factories, companies and operations have shut down or had massive layoffs. That is one company shutting down or laying off workers every 2\1/2\ days for 8 straight years. That is an average of 61 jobs lost each day due to shutdowns or layoffs. In fact, since 2001, Ohio has lost over 200,000 manufacturing jobs alone, and now our State's unemployment rate is 7.4 percent, nearly double the 2001 level.
In order to keep our families strong and workers competitive, we must extend these unemployment benefits.
Madam Speaker, 22,478 unemployed workers in my home State of Ohio will lose their benefits in October, and a total of 34,389 will lose their benefits between October and December, right before the holidays.
Madam Speaker, we must act here to pass this bill with the same sense of urgency to help our families as we did to pass the economic recovery package just voted on to free up the credit markets. Extending these unemployment benefits is critical. We must extend them to help our workers who are struggling to find jobs.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his extraordinary leadership on this important bill.
The economy has shed nearly 1 million private sector jobs this year and 9.5 million workers are unemployed, 2.2 million more than a year ago. As this chart shows, unemployment is particularly high in nearly half of the States. The red shows where unemployment is over 6 percent, the orange is where it is 5 percent.
In high unemployment States, over a third of the workers who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, are exhausting even their extended unemployment benefits. Nearly 800,000 workers will be left without additional Federal jobless benefits starting next week when their extension is set to run out. Over half of these workers live in high unemployment States.
Congress has extended benefits to the States hardest hit by unemployment in every other downturn in the past 25 years. This bill will bring relief to families struggling to find work and make ends meet and also boost our sagging economy.
In light of today's jobless numbers, I urge a strong yes vote on this important bill.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. I continue to reserve my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, we all know our economy is rapidly deteriorating and we have a responsibility to act. Today we passed an economic stabilization bill that we worked to benefit everyone, allowing individuals and businesses across the country critical access to the credit that they need. The package also included tax provisions to bring further relief to the middle class, protecting hardworking Americans from the encroaching alternative minimum tax, expand the child tax credit, and create jobs through renewable energy and research and development tax credits. Yet we must do more to help those in need.
So far this year, 760,000 jobs have disappeared. The Labor Department reported today that the economy shed 159,000 jobs in September, the ninth straight month of job losses and the most in more than 5 years. The unemployment rate is now at 6.1 percent, the highest level in 5 years. This August, Connecticut unemployment reached 6.5 percent, the highest since 1993, and wages remained stagnant.
The legislation we consider today will provide 7 additional weeks of extended benefits for workers in every State, extend eligibility to 20 weeks, and provides another 13 weeks for workers in States with the unemployment rate of 6 percent or higher. With 800,000 workers currently set to exhaust their extended benefits in October, this could not be more urgent.
In the long run, we need to provide real stimulus to help the middle class, create jobs by investing in infrastructure and renewable energy and provide the middle class with much-needed tax relief. Extending unemployment insurance is one of the best options to stimulate the economy. It is good economics, and it is basic human decency.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono).
Ms. HIRONO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership on this very important issue.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6867, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008. We heard this morning that the national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in September and 9.5 million Americans are out of work, 2.2 million more unemployed workers than just 1 year ago.
The unemployment rate in Hawaii has gone up from 2.7 percent in August 2007, one of the lowest in the country, to 4.2 percent in August of 2008. That increase amounted to 10,800 more people out of work in my State in just 1 year. The 28,100 unemployed men and women in Hawaii are struggling to pay their mortgages, health premiums and energy costs while they continue to look for work in the middle of an economic downturn.
Many Hawaii businesses have closed their doors or laid off workers in the last year, including Aloha Airlines, ATA, Maui Land and Pine, and Norwegian Cruise Line. The Hawaii economy is struggling. Tourism, agriculture and retail are all down, making it harder for people in our State to find new jobs.
Congress must act now to provide help for the 9.5 million Americans who are out of work. Nearly 800,000 of these workers are projected to exhaust their extended unemployment benefits this month. Over the next 3 months, over 2,400 unemployed workers in Hawaii will exhaust their benefits, leaving thousands of Hawaii families out of work and out of money.
We have before us an important bill that would extend these benefits for 7 weeks for the thousands of unemployed in Hawaii and across our country. I urge a yes vote on this measure.
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Mr. WELLER of Illinois. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
Mr. KUCINICH. I want to thank my friend Mr. McDermott for his hard work on this important bill, and I rise in support of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act.
The national unemployment rate is 6.1 percent, while the latest unemployment data for my State of Ohio reports a 7.4 percent unemployment rate. These numbers are expected to rise in the coming months.
With the loss of an additional 159,000 jobs in September, the American economy is experiencing a ninth consecutive month of job loss. Manufacturing are the hardest hit, with the loss of an additional 51,000 jobs in September and the loss of approximately 442,000 jobs this time a year ago.
Furthermore, unemployment is disproportionately affecting African-
American men at 11.9 percent unemployment and workers without high school degrees at 9.6 unemployment. The number of workers involuntarily unemployed in a part-time job increased by an additional 300,000 in September.
The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act will provide an additional 7 weeks of unemployment benefits to our workers who exhausted their benefits. For States with unemployment rates at or in excess of 6 percent, the bill will ensure an additional 13 weeks of unemployment compensation.
Just moments ago, the House of Representatives passed a bill which will give Wall Street $700 billion. The least we can do is help give a little bit more unemployment compensation to American workers.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, could we know the time that is available?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 6 minutes remaining. The gentleman from Illinois has 14\1/2\ minutes.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the chairman for having the wisdom to bring this legislation up.
If you look at my State, you will see that Texas is just a smidgeon below turning red, and not on politics, but on the numbers of individuals unemployed.
As was indicated, we just voted on an emergency stimulus package on which I originally voted no. But looking at these numbers, having my car dealerships call me and tell me about the freezing of credit, with great difficulty I voted yes. But today is an acknowledgement that we are in crisis. 159,000 people today are unemployed, making a total of 759,000 people.
This emergency stimulus package or this emergency rescue package has got to focus on Mr. and Mrs. America. That is what the extension of unemployment benefits represents, so that Ms. Jackson in my district who has a high adjusted mortgage rate can still keep her job. We have got to keep her job and keep a house. And that is what my vote was today on the rescue package. That is why I am supporting these extenders, because we have got a crisis, folks. And this party, this Democratic Congress, this new President must address this question.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6867, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act introduced by Congressman McDermott of Washington.
Background
On June 30, 2008, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program was created by Public Law 110-252. This new temporary unemployment insurance program provided up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to certain workers who had exhausted their rights to regular unemployment compensation (UC) benefits.
Unfortunately, over 1 million workers have joined the ranks of the unemployed since Congress enacted the Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program in June, and over 800,000 workers are projected to exhaust their current extended benefits if we do not act now.
Hurricanes Rita, Gustav, and Ike have wreaked havoc on the gulf coast, and in my district of Houston, Texas I have seen people with out food and water. This devastation has also clearly affected the job market and has forced many hardworking Houstonians into the unemployment lines.
General--Statistics
The U.S. economy has lost jobs in every single month of 2008. This past month, the economy suffered its biggest 1-month job loss
(-159,000) in over 5 years. With over 9.5 million unemployed workers the national unemployment rate is at a 5-year high of 6.1 percent. New claims for unemployment benefits just hit a 7-year high in mid-
September. In total, the economy has shed 760,000 jobs since the beginning of the year.
Over the past year, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 2.2 million. New claims for unemployment benefits just hit a 7-year high in mid-September. In July, there were 2.6 jobless workers for every available job. More than one out of every five unemployed workers has been jobless for over 6 months. The number of long-term unemployed
(2 million) is up 57 percent over the last 12 months with 89 metropolitan areas having a jobless rate of at least 7 percent.
From January to May, 5 consecutive months, the U.S. economy has lost jobs. The unemployment rate had its biggest 1-month increase in over 20 years in May of this year.
The Congressional Budget Office, CBO, says that extending unemployment benefits is one of the most cost-effective and fastest acting forms of economic stimulus because the money is spent quickly.
Congress has enacted federally-funded extended unemployment benefit programs on seven different occasions over the last 50 years in response to economic weakness (1958, 1961, 1972, 1975, 1982, 1991, and 2002).
In addition to those already seeking employment, statistics from recent years show an average of 100,000 additional job seekers entering the labor market in Texas alone, between the months of April and June.
The unemployment rates for adult men (4.9 percent), adult women (4.8 percent), teenagers (18.7 percent), whites (4.9 percent), and blacks
(9.7 percent) rose in May. The jobless rate for Hispanics (6.9 percent) was unchanged. The unemployment rate for Asians was 3.8 percent.
Conclusion
Unemployment is at record highs. This affects the very heart of our American families. We must act now to extend these benefits. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 6867 and support American families.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. 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.
Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, let me just say first off I think we all owe a great debt of gratitude to the chairman of the subcommittee and also the ranking member.
The chairman of the subcommittee has approached the extended unemployment benefit issue with the sense of urgency that it deserves, and it has been a privilege for me to serve as a cosponsor of the initial legislation that was reported out of our committee.
Today, I think it is very important that we act, because in my neighborhood on the west side of Erie, Pennsylvania, people have been increasingly uncomfortable about the growing financial challenges facing our country. But for them, their highest concern and their most immediate concern is their job. And with rising unemployment rates and big challenges in the economy, it is important that we act today to give everyone on unemployment extra weeks of benefits in order to develop a sound footing, to be in a position to have extra time with extra weekly paychecks in order to meet their needs, in order to cover their mortgage, in order to put money back into the community. This will have a positive multiplier effect in many communities in this country and in neighborhoods like mine on the west side of Erie, Pennsylvania.
I think it is important, having acted today to stabilize Wall Street, that we reach out to Main Street and beyond to West 6th Street in Erie, where people are facing real concerns about their employment prospects, where people need to know that the safety net is going to be there if they are laid off.
This is a bipartisan issue, one that should rise above partisan politics, one that I think should speak to the philosophy of virtually everyone in this chamber. I urge the passage of this legislation. I urge that we act now to get it done and we reassure the working families of America that this safety net is going to be there for them.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the chairman of the subcommittee for yielding to me, and I want to thank him for being a true leader for those who are unemployed across our country, so many of them in the State of Ohio. I know how hard Congressman Jim McDermott has worked on this legislation. And I have to say I come to the microphone with a heavy heart, because I obviously did not support the $870 billion for Wall Street, and now we come with $6 billion, 6 precious billion dollars that these people earned and sent into the tax coffers of this country. And we are going to give it back to them as a gift?
I am getting tired as a Democrat of picking up the wreckage across America. When is my party really going to stand up to Wall Street and the outsourcing of jobs? This isn't good enough. This isn't good enough for the people who have sent us here. They have earned it. Those people at Treasury didn't earn it. Wall Street didn't earn it. They squandered our money.
So today, because of Congressman McDermott's leadership, at least we have a lifeline to the people who are paying the tax dollars. They are going to be rerouted to Wall Street and then they are going to send half of it abroad.
I rise in support of this legislation because it is the least we should do, but it isn't the most we should be doing.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, does the gentleman have other speakers?
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. We have no additional speakers. There may be other Members coming, but we're not aware of any additional speakers.
Mr. McDERMOTT. I don't have any either, so if you're ready to close, go ahead.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. The gentleman has no additional speakers?
Mr. McDERMOTT. I have no additional speakers.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois is recognized to close.
Mr. WELLER of Illinois. 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.
Mr. McDERMOTT. It has been a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Weller. I know I am not supposed to speak to another Member on the floor, but I just did anyway.
I would ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to let Mr. Emanuel say 30 seconds.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. EMANUEL. Madam Speaker, today we have learned that things have only gotten worse: 159,000 American jobs were lost in September, the biggest decline since March 2003. I am pleased we are taking this action today.
On the Retirement of Hon. Ray LaHood
But while I have the attention of the Members, I would like to say one thing about a colleague who isn't here but this is his last day, a person who I have gotten to know over the years working, Ray LaHood. This will be his last day here in Congress. He has been a member of the Capitol, both as staff to Bob Michel as well as a Member of Congress.
For all those who are watching, both Ray and I come from Illinois. Ray is a Republican and I am a Democrat. Ray is a Lebanese American, I am a Jewish American. He is supporting John McCain, and I am supporting Barack Obama. He is a great friend of mine. I have learned a lot about him. That type of friendship, that type of people from two different experiences, you can only find in one country in the world, and that is here in America. Two people from totally different backgrounds who have developed a great friendship both not only as individuals, not only as people who work together, but as family. And I will just tell you, I am going to sorely miss somebody who I have gotten to know as a good friend, somebody who in my opinion, if you look back and I think if you ask all our colleagues, somebody when our framers thought of a member of Congress what they had in their mind's eye, that person would be Ray LaHood, whose decency, his sense of what it is that he was doing here on behalf of who he was doing it for never changed in his 30 years. He is an individual who, while firm in his principles, was very flexible about his opinions. I say, if you spend too much time in Washington you become firm in your opinions and it is your principles you are flexible on. Ray never forgot where he was from and the people of Peoria that sent him here.
Now, while he will go on to do many things in his life, his leadership, his thoughtfulness, and his character will be missed by Members of both sides of the aisle. And I wish him well and I wish him congratulations on an outstanding career in public service, but I would hope that Ray could find other ways to also contribute to his country. He has been a good friend, a good colleague, and somebody, I think I can speak for 434 other Members, will be sorely missed from this institution.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to the time I have left?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to say it has been a pleasure to work with Jerry Weller. On a committee like this where you have contentious issues, he has been a great supporter as we have worked on child welfare issues and on foster children issues and unemployment issues, and it has been a real pleasure. I hope I get a ranking member to replace you that is half as good as you were.
I think that this bill that is out here may be in my view a little bit late. I wanted to put an amendment on the bailout bill that included the stimulus package, because I really think that we should be doing more for people on Main Street.
{time} 1415
I think the people at home are angry in many respects because they think we don't understand the pain of what the average citizen in this country is feeling, and they feel like we are giving help to some people that perhaps don't deserve it or don't need it or whatever, and we are ignoring the people who really needed it.
The acceptance by the leadership of putting this bill up here at the end, I am pleased by that. I only hope that the Senate is listening because, Madam Speaker, some of those people are going to go home to States that we just saw mapped that are red. That means they have more than 6 percent unemployed. We have 19 States in this country where there is more than 6 percent unemployment.
For people to go out and run for reelection and say I didn't have time to stay and pass an unemployment bill wouldn't seem to me like a good campaign strategy. So I hope that this will become legislation that passes this House, the other House, and is ultimately signed by the President.
The people who lose their jobs in this country are real people. They are people who go to work every day, and one day they come in, like those who had a meeting in Seattle yesterday where they told the 4,300 people who are working at Washington Mutual that they will find out whether they have their job on the 1st of December. They are going to get their Christmas present by decision of the folks who bought Washington Mutual as to whether they are employed or not. No fault of theirs. Those are real people for whom this bill is a little bit of help to get them over, hopefully, a chasm so that they can reach the other side and get another job.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill. It is a piece of legislation that I am sure the Senate is going to want to deal with.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6867, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008. Today we learned that for the ninth straight month the economy has lost jobs--159,000 jobs in the last month alone. That represents the largest 1-month loss of jobs in more than 5 years. Over the last 12 months, more than 2 million Americans have joined the ranks of the unemployed. The national unemployment rate is now at 6.1 percent, and in my home State of Illinois it is at 7.3 percent.
Today's news come at a time when millions of people in Illinois and across the country are already struggling to figure out how they can pay their bills, feed their families, and keep a roof over their head. H.R. 6867 will help ease some of that pain and fear by extending unemployment benefits to millions of Americans who have lost their job as more businesses are forced to cut shifts and lay people off because of rising prices, a decline in business, and the credit crisis.
H.R. 6867 would provide 7 weeks of extended benefits for workers who have exhausted regular unemployment compensation, with workers in high unemployment States like Illinois eligible for an additional 13 weeks of benefits. Nearly 800,000 workers are projected to exhaust their current extended unemployment benefits in October unless Congress acts.
On the day that we are directing billions of taxpayer dollars to stabilize the financial markets, it is incumbent on Congress to provide direct relief to those struggling to make ends meet. In addition to unemployment insurance, I believe we also need to make investments in our highways, bridges, transit systems, and schools; we need increases in food stamp benefits; and we need a crucial temporary increase in Medicaid payments to States. Studies have shown that those are some of the quickest forms of economic stimulus because those benefits and investments are spent quickly.
Again, I urge strong support of the legislation and look forward to working with all of my colleagues to support policies that create jobs and jump start our economy.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6867, the ``Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008.'' We have seen the United States economy lose jobs every single month of 2008. Today we were greeted with the news that 159,000 more American jobs were lost in the month of September, the worst job loss in 5 years. In my home State of Oregon, the unemployment rate is up over 6 percent, and families are hurting.
Extending unemployment benefits for those who are looking for jobs in an increasingly contracting economy is the right thing to do. It is not only the moral thing to do, it's a good stimulator for our economy. Most families have exhausted their benefits and still need help paying their bills and putting food on the table. Moody's Economy.com estimates that every dollar of unemployment benefits provides $1.64 in economic stimulus by being put directly back into the economy.
We have just voted to pass an enormous financial rescue package which lends a helping hand to the financial services industry. I voted against that legislation because it didn't do enough to help consumers and taxpayers. Our unemployment rate is at a 5-year high, and claims for benefits have just hit a 7-year high. It's time to lend a helping hand to the more than 65,000 Oregonians who would benefit from extended benefits under this bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this important legislation to help get our economy back on its feet.
Mr. SHAYS. Madam Speaker, I support H.R. 6867, which would provide up to 7 additional weeks of Federal extended unemployment benefits to workers in all States as well as an additional 13 weeks of Federal extended benefits for workers in States, like Connecticut, with unemployment rates of 6 percent or higher.
Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District has been hit particularly hard by financial market turmoil. According to PolicyMap.com, 20,655 Darien residents alone work in the financial, insurance, and real estate sectors. In light of Lehman Brothers and AIG bankruptcies, many Fairfield County commuters have found themselves unemployed.
In Westport, 19.4 percent of the town's 26,822 residents work in these fields, and 13.2 percent of Stamford's 120,338 residents are also employed in the financial sector.
I support extending unemployment insurance benefits to people who have lost their jobs and are having a difficult time finding work. In light of a recent economic downturn, turmoil in the housing market and rising unemployment it is the responsibility of Congress to assist workers and promote economic growth and employment.
Mr. ELLISON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly support H.R. 6867, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008.
This bill provides for an additional 7 weeks of extended Unemployment Benefits for workers who have exhausted their regular UI benefits.
Earlier this year, we enacted a bipartisan compromise to provide extended unemployment benefits. But those benefits will start to run out in October unless Congress acts.
With today's news of another 159,000 American jobs lost in September--the worst job loss in 5 years--this action is critical to providing relief as well as strengthening the American economy and creating jobs.
Madam Speaker, the research is clear, extending UI benefits is one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy because the money is spent quickly.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, every $1 spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.64 in new economic demand.
Madam Speaker, Minnesota's unemployment rate hit 6.2 percent this past August, we are waiting for the September State numbers now. This is highest state unemployment rate in 22 years.
This legislation could not be more timely; the House has just passed legislation to save Main Street by helping out Wall Street.
Let us help everybody on Main Street directly by providing needed help to the unemployed workers and their families by providing them additional unemployment insurance benefits.
Mr. McDERMOTT. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6867, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 368, nays 28, not voting 38, as follows:
YEAS--368
AbercrombieAckermanAderholtAkinAlexanderAllenAltmireAndrewsArcuriBacaBachusBairdBaldwinBarrowBartlett (MD)Barton (TX)BeanBecerraBerkleyBermanBerryBiggertBilbrayBilirakisBishop (GA)Bishop (NY)BlackburnBlumenauerBluntBonnerBono MackBoozmanBorenBoswellBoustanyBoyd (FL)Boyda (KS)Brady (PA)Brady (TX)Braley (IA)Brown (SC)Brown, CorrineBrown-Waite, GinnyBuchananBurton (IN)ButterfieldBuyerCalvertCamp (MI)Campbell (CA)CantorCapitoCappsCapuanoCardozaCarnahanCarneyCarsonCastleCastorCazayouxChabotChandlerChildersClarkeClayCleaverClyburnCobleCohenCole (OK)ConyersCostaCostelloCourtneyCramerCrenshawCrowleyCuellarCummingsDavis (AL)Davis (CA)Davis (IL)Davis (KY)Davis, LincolnDavis, TomDeFazioDeGetteDelahuntDeLauroDentDiaz-Balart, L.Diaz-Balart, M.DicksDingellDoggettDonnellyDoyleDrakeDreierEdwards (MD)Edwards (TX)EhlersEllisonEllsworthEmanuelEmersonEngelEnglish (PA)EtheridgeFallinFarrFattahFilnerForbesFortenberryFossellaFosterFrank (MA)FrelinghuysenGarrett (NJ)GerlachGiffordsGillibrandGonzalezGoodeGoodlatteGordonGrangerGravesGreen, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGutierrezHall (NY)Hall (TX)HareHarmanHastings (WA)HayesHellerHensarlingHergerHerseth SandlinHigginsHillHincheyHinojosaHironoHodesHoekstraHoldenHoltHondaHooleyHoyerHunterInsleeIsraelIssaJackson (IL)Jackson-Lee (TX)JeffersonJohnson (GA)Johnson (IL)Johnson, E. B.Jones (NC)KagenKanjorskiKapturKellerKennedyKildeeKilpatrickKindKing (NY)KirkKlein (FL)Kline (MN)KnollenbergKucinichKuhl (NY)LampsonLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LathamLaTouretteLattaLeeLevinLewis (CA)Lewis (GA)LipinskiLoBiondoLoebsackLofgren, ZoeLoweyLucasLungren, Daniel E.LynchMackMahoney (FL)Maloney (NY)ManzulloMarkeyMarshallMathesonMatsuiMcCarthy (CA)McCarthy (NY)McCaul (TX)McCollum (MN)McCotterMcDermottMcGovernMcHenryMcHughMcIntyreMcMorris RodgersMcNerneyMcNultyMeek (FL)Meeks (NY)MelanconMicaMichaudMiller (MI)Miller (NC)Miller, GeorgeMitchellMollohanMoore (KS)Moore (WI)Moran (KS)Murphy (CT)Murphy, PatrickMurphy, TimMurthaMusgraveMyrickNadlerNapolitanoNeal (MA)OberstarObeyOlverOrtizPallonePascrellPastorPaynePearcePelosiPencePerlmutterPeterson (MN)Peterson (PA)PetriPittsPlattsPomeroyPorterPrice (GA)Price (NC)Pryce (OH)PutnamRadanovichRahallRamstadRangelRegulaRehbergReichertReyesReynoldsRichardsonRodriguezRogers (AL)Rogers (KY)Rogers (MI)RohrabacherRos-LehtinenRoskamRossRothmanRoybal-AllardRuppersbergerRushRyan (OH)Ryan (WI)SalazarSanchez, Linda T.SarbanesScaliseSchakowskySchiffSchmidtSchwartzScott (GA)Scott (VA)SensenbrennerSerranoSessionsSestakShaysShea-PorterShermanShimkusShulerShusterSimpsonSiresSkeltonSmith (NJ)Smith (TX)Smith (WA)SnyderSolisSouderSpaceSprattStarkStearnsStupakSullivanSuttonTancredoTannerTauscherTaylorTerryThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TiahrtTiberiTierneyTownsTsongasTurnerUdall (CO)Udall (NM)UptonVan HollenVelazquezWalbergWalden (OR)Walsh (NY)Walz (MN)Wasserman SchultzWatersWatsonWattWaxmanWeinerWelch (VT)WellerWexlerWhitfield (KY)Wilson (NM)Wilson (OH)Wilson (SC)Wittman (VA)WolfWoolseyWuYarmuthYoung (AK)
NAYS--28
BachmannBarrett (SC)Broun (GA)BurgessCannonCarterConawayCulbersonDoolittleDuncanFlakeFoxxFranks (AZ)GingreyGohmertInglis (SC)JordanKing (IA)LambornLinderMiller (FL)NeugebauerNunesPaulPoeSaliShadeggSmith (NE)
NOT VOTING--38
Bishop (UT)BoehnerBoucherCooperCubinDavis, DavidDeal (GA)EshooEverettFeeneyFergusonGalleglyGilchrestHastings (FL)HobsonHulshofJohnson, SamKingstonLaHoodLewis (KY)MarchantMcCreryMcKeonMiller, GaryMoran (VA)PickeringRenziRoyceSanchez, LorettaSaxtonSlaughterSpeierThornberryViscloskyWampWeldon (FL)WestmorelandYoung (FL)
{time} 1441
Mr. SNYDER changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote 683. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 683.
Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I will be unable to vote this afternoon on H.R. 6867, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted ``yea.''
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