(November 18, 2010 -- Washington, D.C.)  Speaking from the House Floor, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today again called for an extension of unemployment assistance to help Nevada families as the holiday season approaches.  A transcript of Berkley’s remarks appears below and video of her floor speech can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/ShelleyBerkley

 

"Six months ago I said the three most important issues in this country are jobs, jobs, jobs, and I said it six months before that.  I say it now.  But while we are working to restore our economy and put people back to work, we must extend unemployment benefits to the millions of Americans, our fellow citizens through no fault of their own find themselves unemployed.  In my congressional district of Las Vegas in the State of Nevada, we have been particularly hard hit.  People through no fault of their own -- they're not spoiled, they're not lazy, they work every day of their life – they’ve got no job because the economy is so bad.  These are the people, our fellow citizens, our next door neighbors, our family members that we need to help by extending unemployment benefits.  If we do not do this today, 27,000 Nevada families will have no way to put food on their families' tables.  Their children will do without. They will not be able to pay their rent or put food on the table.  We have an obligation to our fellow citizens, that we must help them until we get this economy back where it needs to be."

 

More than 27,000 Nevadans stand to lose their unemployment benefits if Congress fails to extend the program this year.  Without action, temporary federal unemployment benefits will begin to phase-out at the end of November.  Berkley has consistently voted to extend unemployment benefits at no cost to Nevada and other states and is seeking an extension of programs now in place.