Progressive Caucus

Floor Speech

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Mr. HUFFMAN. I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for your leadership in organizing this hour of debate on such an important subject. I certainly want to lend my voice to the voices of my colleagues on this important matter.

What we are asking for is very simple. We simply want an immediate ``up-or-down'' vote on whether to extend these Federal long-term unemployment insurance benefits. We are asking that because I think in all of our districts we see that too many of our constituents are unnecessarily suffering from Congress' failure to act. We owe it to our neighbors and their families--people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, people who want to work, who continually are searching for work--we owe it to them to provide the support they need to get back on their feet.

In my own home State of California, we have got over 339,000 Californians who have lost unemployment benefits. The number continues to grow the longer Congress waits, the longer we fail to act.

California's currently got an unemployment rate of about 8.3 percent, but in many parts of my district--I include some rural areas--that rate is much higher. In fact, in Trinity County we have an unemployment rate that is over 11 percent.

It is very important to remember that this is not an abstract issue. This is an immediate and deeply personal issue about real people and real struggles. Since the Federal benefits expired in December of last year, I have received thousands of emails and phone calls from my constituents asking for Congress to wake up and take action.

One of them very recently is a great example. It is from Lisa in Eureka. She wrote to me:

I have been on unemployment for just over 6 months now and I am not able to make my mortgage payment. I am a worker, not a lazy bum. I want to work, and I am still looking and hopeful. But in the meantime, I can't live without a little help from unemployment.

That is very typical of the kind of feedback and pleas that I am hearing and that I know you, Mr. Pocan, and many of us are hearing from hardworking folks in our district every single day.

So, again, I think it is important to emphasize this is not a handout. This is about offering a hand up to real people during a difficult time. Without the extension of this crucial lifeline, 181,000 children in California--let's remember the impact on families and children--will be hurt.

No one should be forced to make the unbearable choice between paying their rent and feeding their family simply because they lost their job due to no fault of their own. Extending these benefits should not remain a casualty to congressional gridlock.

Just today, we got some great news. I think we are all encouraged that Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are working together on a tentative agreement to extend unemployment insurance benefits for 5 months--an agreement that, as I understand it, would provide retroactive payments to people like Lisa in my district.

So, Mr. Speaker, let's help the economy. Let's help our constituents who are looking for work. This House should follow the Senate's lead and work together to find a solution.

Again, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin.

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