Executive Session

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TEXT

Madam President, yesterday my colleagues agreed by a voice vote to proceed to a debate on the bipartisan agreement to restore emergency unemployment insurance to 2.7 million Americans. This is great progress from where we have been the last few months, as I have made the case to renew these benefits.

I wish to thank my colleagues for their support and urge them to continue to move this compromise to passage, as it represents our best path forward to quickly provide aid to our constituents and supporting our economic recovery. I hope the voice vote yesterday is indicative of broad support going forward, and that this agreement will not be bogged down by unnecessary roadblocks.

Millions of Americans who have worked hard, who were laid off through no fault of their own, and are searching for work are looking to us to get this commonsense extension done and done promptly. I would again like to thank my colleagues who have joined in this effort. They recognize this is the right thing to do for our workers and it is the right thing do for our economy.

I would also like to particularly thank my Republican cosponsors who have brought constructive thoughts and ideas to the table, helping bring us here to this point. Senator Heller has been a stalwart in extending these emergency benefits. Senator Collins, Senator Portman, Senator Murkowski, Senator Kirk have all contributed valuable thoughts, along with Senator Coats and Senator Ayotte. This has been an effort that has truly been bipartisan. I think it represents a coming together of proposals from both sides, but ultimately to serve the best interests of our constituents who again are looking for work in a very difficult market.

We have been working together since literally last year before these benefits expired on December 28. We know how important it is to provide this assistance to families throughout this Nation. We also understand that we have to go ahead and not only provide support for the families but also to support the local economy. This will do it. It will provide resources that will immediately go back into the economy and stimulate demand and stimulate growth.

I want to also thank my colleagues for the way they have thoughtfully approached some of the issues. Senator Collins has helped build upon this important reform to provide a mechanism which we hope will get people back to work sooner. We have incorporated another assessment in the process. It is fully paid for. People will get, in the course of their extended benefits, the opportunity and also the obligation to come back in, be assessed, be given advice, be given some coaching. We think, and some data suggest, this is one of the most effective ways to get people back into a job in a difficult market.

Senator Portman is a former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and one of the real experts, who has been key to identifying appropriate pay-fors which are critical.

Senator Murkowski and Senator Kirk worked to include an examination of the work suitability and work search standards across the States so we can be better informed and better prepared when we have to deal with further reforms to our unemployment compensation system.

This agreement incorporates many good ideas of my colleagues. It is important we build upon the historic reforms Congress undertook in 2012. I will try to discuss those reforms in more detail later in the week. But as I said again, most importantly, it will help people who have worked, who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, who are desperately searching for work and must search for work in a difficult economy. It will help our economy overall.

BREAK IN TEXT

Source