(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) spoke on the Senate floor to
urge her colleagues to reauthorize the critical unemployment insurance program
through the end of 2011. Unemployment insurance has been extended since the
recession began, but is now set to expire unless Congress acts. This would
cut off families in Washington state and across the country at a time when the
national unemployment rate stands at 9.6% and there are five job seekers for
every open position.
Murray
is a co-sponsor of the recently introduced Unemployment Insurance Stabilization
Act of 2010, which would reauthorize the Emergency Unemployment Compensation
(EUC) benefits through the end of next year. Senate Democrats asked for
unanimous consent to pass this bill today, but it was blocked by Senate
Republicans.
Key
excerpts from today’s speech:
“We
can’t sit on the sidelines while more families are pushed into bankruptcy, more
people lose their health care, and more homes are foreclosed on. We can’t
stand by and watch as working families that have already been pushed to the
brink by a financial crisis they didn’t create, are shoved over the edge
through no fault of their own.”
“It’s
wrong, and it doesn’t make sense! It doesn’t make sense to pull billions of
dollars out of the economy. It doesn’t make sense to remove
purchasing power from so many families. It doesn’t make sense to lose
the multiplier effect of these funds that keep millions of workers on the job. And
it certainly doesn’t make sense to do all this right before the holidays!”
“I
am going to keep fighting to maintain these emergency unemployment compensation
benefits through next year. For Judy Curtis’ family, for thousands of families
like them across Washington state, and for millions across America.”“These
programs are not meant to continue indefinitely, but until our economy gets
back on track, it would be devastating to cut families off from this critical
lifeline.”
In
her speech, Murray also talked about the positive effect that the unemployment
insurance program has on the economy. In 2009, the unemployment insurance
system injected $4 billion in benefits into Washington state’s economy,
generating $6.5 billion in economic activity, according to data from the
Washington State Employment Security Department and the U.S Department of
Labor. Washington state 2009 economic impact information by county
available upon request.
The
full text of Senator Murray’s speech follows:
“Madam
President, I come to the floor today to speak on behalf of thousands of
Washington state families who stand to lose everything they have because
Republican Senators continue to put politics ahead of policy.
“Men
and women from Seattle to Spokane who lost their jobs through no fault of their
own. Who get up every single day, scour the want ads, send out their resumes,
and desperately try to find work in an economy that continues to struggle.
“These
workers don’t want to be where they are today.
“They
would like nothing more than to be back on the job, doing what many of them
have been doing for years: working hard, adding value to their companies,
contributing to their communities, and providing for their families.
“But
while they struggle to find work, many of them depend on the unemployment
insurance programs we put in place to keep their heads above water.
“This
support has allowed these families to put food on the table, stay in their
homes, and pay for their children’s health care.
“These
programs aren’t extravagant, but for so many workers they have made all the
difference.
“Workers
like Judy Curtis, a woman from Mill Creek, Washington who wrote to my office
urging me to do everything I could to reauthorize this program.
“Judy
is a single mother who has worked hard her whole life to support herself and
her developmentally disabled son, Sean.
“She
told me she has been laid off twice since the downturn began and has been
looking for a new job every day—but without any luck.
“Judy’s
unemployment insurance is going to be cut off on January 15th unless we
reauthorize itand she doesn’t know how she and her son are going to make it if
that happens.
“So
Madam President, it is because of stories like hers that I am so disappointed we
are once again throwing families into a state of uncertainty and turmoil by
allowing these emergency unemployment programs to expire today.
“It
simply doesn’t make sense.
“Our
economy still has a long way to go on the road to recovery.
“There
are five job seekers for every open position.
“The
unemployment rate stands at 9.6%.
“And
Senate Republicans really think that now is a good time to cut families off
from the support they depend on??
“Madam
President, we can’t allow this to happen.
“We
can’t sit on the sidelines while more families are pushed into
bankruptcy, more people lose their health care, and more homes are
foreclosed on.
“We
can’t stand by and watch as working families that have already been pushed to
the brink by a financial crisis they didn’t create, are shoved over the edge
through no fault of their own.
“It’s
wrong—and it doesn’t make sense!
“It
doesn’t make sense to pull billions of dollars out of the economy.
“It
doesn’t make sense to remove purchasing power from so many families.
“It
doesn’t make sense to lose the multiplier effect of these funds that keep
millions of workers on the job.
“And
it certainly doesn’t make sense to do all this right before the holidays!!
“And
I have to say, Madam President, I find it very interesting that some of the
Senators who oppose extending this support for middle class families are the
very same ones who have no problem extending the Bush tax cuts for the richest
Americans that will cost us almost a trillion dollars!
“So
for these Republicans, this is not about the deficit. It’s not about what’s
best for the economy, it’s certainly not about good policy—it’s about
politics—plain and simple.
“So
Madam President, I am going to keep fighting to maintain these emergency
unemployment compensation benefits through next year.
“For
Judy Curtis’ family, for thousands of families like them across Washington
state—and for millions across America.
“These
programs are not meant to continue indefinitely, but until our economy gets
back on track, it would be devastating to cut families off from this critical
lifeline.
“Thank
you, I yield the floor.”
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