For Immediate Release: June 11, 2008
Contact: Emily
Barocas /202-225-7295/202-593-1377
REPUBLICANS DENY ASSISTANCE TO MILLIONS OF UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS
Washington, DC - Republicans in the
House of Representatives stood in the way of providing an unemployment
insurance extension to millions of out of work Americans. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Vice Chair of the Democratic
Caucus, said:
"Today, in the House
of Representatives, the difference between the Democratic agenda and Republican
roadblocks couldn't have been clearer.
While we were trying to provide unemployment insurance extensions for
the millions of Americans who lost their jobs as this economy has turned sour,
Republicans stood in the way. Republicans
are frozen in the ice of their own indifference to the needs of the American
people. After seven years of the Bush
policies that drove our economy into ruins and squandered a budget surplus,
Republicans are turning their backs on the American people. When their friends in the corporate world
face tough times, they are more than willing to bail them out. But they won't
do the same for American families.
"There are more
long-term unemployed American workers right now than there were the last time
we passed an extension of unemployment benefits. Today's unemployment insurance extension
would have provided 13 additional weeks of much needed assistance to 3.8
million Americans, including more than 57,000 in my home state of
Connecticut. And, it would have done so
at no additional cost to the American taxpayers. The money would have come out of the surplus
in the unemployment reserves.
"Make no mistake; we
will get this legislation to the President's desk, and I hope he signs it. Republicans can either stand with us to
relieve the suffering of the 3.8 million unemployed this economy has created,
or they can stand in the way."
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