Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this much-needed legislation to extend unemployment insurance benefits through November 2010.

Though we are showing signs of economic recovery, millions of Americans remain out of work through no fault of their own. Without this extension, an estimated 1.7 million individuals will lose their unemployment benefits by July 3, 2010. This legislation would help these individuals and their families by retroactively restoring the benefits that they began losing as early as the end of May. We need to help those families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Protecting the middle class, rebuilding our economy, and providing job growth remains our top priority. While there has been five consecutive months of job growth, much more work needs to be done to make up for the 8 million jobs lost while we continue to rebuild the economy. We inherited an economic mess that favored corporate special interests at the expense of the middle class. And we are still cleaning up that mess. Extending these benefits is not only the right thing to do for these families, but at the same time it will help the economy as a whole. If individuals are unable to buy food and pay their mortgages or rent, the economy could slide back into recession.

Mr. Speaker, we wouldn't be here if our Republican colleagues in the Senate had blocked previous legislation to extend unemployment benefits. I urge all my colleagues not turn our backs on those Americans who are out of a job and continue to struggle to find work.

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