Reed Joins Labor Secretary and Unemployed Workers in Call to Extend Unemployment Insurance
WASHINGTON, DC - TODAY at 1:30 p.m. in the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined unemployed workers, labor activists, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, and members of Congress in calling for the renewal of federal unemployment insurance programs.
If Congress fails to extend unemployment benefits or if benefits lapse for as little as a month, U.S. Department of Labor statistics indicate that nearly 10,000 Rhode Islanders and 2 million Americans nationwide could fall through the safety-net and lose benefits.
Reed is the author of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, which would provide relief for both states and struggling families by extending federal jobless benefits through 2012.
Below is the text of Senator Reed's speech:
Thank you, Whip Hoyer. We're here to keep Americans working, to find more work for more Americans and to help those Americans who are struggling to find these jobs.
And that means in this context one thing: We have to pass the extension of unemployment benefits. It's absolutely essential.
If we fail to do this, we could lose not only our souls, as has been discussed here today, but $72 billion of economic activity next year, translating to about 560,000 jobs.
This is not just about keeping families together, keeping some food on the table. This is about keeping our economy moving, moving forward. We have to do this because the impact, as the secretary said, will be felt in every community in this country. It'll be felt at the grocers. It'll be felt at the pharmacies. It will be felt particularly at those families who are just struggling, desperate to make ends meet day-to-day, week-to-week.
This is an imperative. It has to be done. It makes sense to the families of America. It makes sense to the economy of America. And it makes sense for our ultimate commitment to get people back to work and get this economy to move forward again.
We have no more pressing or important issue before we leave than to assure working men and women across this country that they will have the opportunity to have some support as they struggle to find work in a challenging economy.
And I want to join my colleagues and say we're going to work 24/7 - overtime - to get this done with the able leadership of Steny Hoyer, Nancy Pelosi, Sandy Levin and my Senate colleagues.