Unemployment Insurance

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker and House Republicans, happy new year. You look great, but we have failed to address the issues of the people who are unemployed. I call upon all of us today to remember that many people, as we sit here, are facing fiscal devastation.

The social safety net is used to purchase very basic necessities, such as food and rent; and many Americans are treading now, just staying above the water. There were 1.3 million Americans who were without unemployment insurance as of December 28. In another few weeks, 1.9 million more will join them, and 174,000 of them are from Texas.

I know that we have not really thought about this seriously. I know that so much time was spent in attempting to overturn the Affordable Care Act that we forgot that there are people we have failed to provide jobs for who are now unemployed and whom we cannot forget.

This is not just their problem. This is our problem. Please join me in making sure that we restore their safety net.

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