Senate Proceeding on Oct 27th, 2009 :: 0:37:40 to 0:47:20
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0:37:33 to 0:37:53( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: ed ared are mr. presiden the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. reed: i would like to take up to 10 minutes in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. reid. mr. reed: i would like to ask my colleagues to join us in passing an extension of unemployment insurance, to top blocking a program that is so necessary to every person in this country, and not just those

0:37:40 to 0:47:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jack Reed

0:37:54 to 0:38:14( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: who are losing jobs but those who are fearful that their jobs might be taken away. this is a national issue of urgency. it requires attention and action now, not weeks from now. for the last several weeks we've been trying to get an agreement to proceed. last week leader reid justifiably filed the first of what could be three cloture

0:38:15 to 0:38:36( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: motions that some on the other side would insist we must proceed through until we can act on this important effort and benefit for americans. everyone in congress, regardless of party affiliation, is concerned about jobs. there's no unemployment crisis just in red states or in blue

0:38:37 to 0:38:58( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: states or in purple states or any color state. this is a nationwide problem. it requires a nationwide solution and one of the first steps is simply extending unemployment benefits for people who are running out of these benefits or who may in fact lose their employment and need these benefits. we have to create jobs.

0:38:59 to 0:39:19( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: that's the ultimate solution to the current economic crisis. we must have a sustainable and robust recovery. we're receiving some encourage signs. it's estimated that when the gross domestic product for this quarter is reported, it'll be about 3%, the first positive gross domestic product in many,

0:39:20 to 0:39:40( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: many quarters. but positive g.d.p. is not the answer for people who are looking for work unsuccessful. they need the benefits of extended unemployment compensation. this legislation before us is very straightforward. it ensures that out-of-work americans can provide nor their americans, can stay in their

0:39:41 to 0:40:01( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: homes and can maintain a sense of dignity while they continue to search for employment in a very difficult market. not only is it simply the right thing to doecause it demonstrates some degree of recognition of the extraordinarily difficult situation facing so many in this nation, but unemployment compensation insurance helps to

0:40:02 to 0:40:23( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: aid the economy. you don't have to be an economist to understand that giving money to people who are spend it quickly on basic necessities spurs demand and helps prevent further the economy. yet, my colleagues on the other side, the republican side, continue to ignore the urgency of the situation. as stated last week, the distinguished majority leader

0:40:24 to 0:40:45( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: had to file a cloture motion to proceed to the house-passed unemployment insurance extension. and this is unprecedented. congress has acted eight times -- in 1958, 1961, 1971, 19 34e7, 1982, 1991, 2002, and in 2008 to establish temporary programs

0:40:46 to 0:41:06( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: that provide additional weeks of unemployment compensation benefits beyond regular unemployment compensation and any extended benefits. let's take a moment to look back at recent unemployment insurance extensions under both democratic and republican administrations. president george herbert walker

0:41:07 to 0:41:27( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: bush signed an unemployment insurance bill nasd the senate with mere unanimous support. not once, but twice -- november 1991, february 1992, when the unemployment rate was 7% and 7.4%, respectively. and we are at a much more serious moment in our economic history today than those years

0:41:28 to 0:41:48( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: ago. in july 1992, president clinton signed an unemployment bill into law that passed with unanimous support in the senate. the unemployment rate was 7.7%. in march -- in november 1993 clinton signed two more bills into law that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

0:41:49 to 0:42:10( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: the unemp 6.6%, respectively. in the 1980's, president reagan signed an unemployment bill into law that majoty republican senate. the unemployment rate was 8.8%. these passed votes under

0:42:11 to 0:42:35( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: majorities in both parties in the senate demonstrate the nonpartisan nature of extending unemployment insurance when the economy is weak and unemployment is high. it's that simple. in fact, further reinforcing this notion is that the national unemployment rate has now risen to 9.8% and may not stablize until next summer, much higher

0:42:36 to 0:42:57( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: than the preceding incident under both democratic and republican presidents, we have moved to extend unemployment compensation benefits. nearly 2 million americans will exhaust their benefits by the end of the yeemplet as i speak here on the floor, hundreds thousands of americans have already exhausted their benefits. 3,800 rhode islanders would benefit immediate lid from a federal extension.

0:42:58 to 0:43:19( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: a majority of whom have already exhausted their benefits, going back in some cases several months. hundreds more in my state exhaust their benefits each passing week. so why are the republicans tracking this legislation? let's take a look at the list of amendments. we all as senators have the right to oppose bh they're proposed simply to

0:43:20 to 0:43:41( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: delay and not to constructively advance an issue, i think we have to look very conceptically at the amendments. it's amendments concerning acorn, which we we've already voted on. it's -- it seems to me, again be, just an attempt to dlairks not an attempt to responsibly legislate.

0:43:42 to 0:44:03( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: furkts it is my understanding understand -- further, it is my understanding that majority leader has made many offers to proceed in this legislation. it is disappointing that these offers have been rejected. is bill is about stabilizing our comirks helping americans who through no fault own can't find work and it is about this body, the united states senate, taking action on

0:44:04 to 0:44:24( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: behalf of the people. i urge immediate consideration of this extension. i hope we can pass it tonight rather than to be force through another series of pointless political cloture motions. and i want to briefly mention another proposal related to this that is important to consider,

0:44:25 to 0:44:45( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: which would help in this terrible crisis of unemployment. i've introduced americans working act" to strengthen and expand work-share programs. these are programs which are states -- 17 states at the moment -- will in fact pay a portion of unemployment benefits if the employer keeps the person

0:44:46 to 0:45:06( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: on the payroll, but lays them off for a few day, not totally lays them off, and will continue to pay their benefits, their pension and health care. so far this year approximately 137 layoffs have been averted in states that have this program. we have a breakdown here of the 17 states.

0:45:07 to 0:45:27( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: you can see in 2008, 58,000 americans were taking advantage of the workshare program. they would work for three days a week, for example. they'd be off two days. they'd receive unemployment compensation pro rata for those two days. the employer would keep the benefits flowing in terms of health care. they have valuable workers not

0:45:28 to 0:45:49( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: sent away from the firm but still engaged in productive activities. i visited a firm in rhode island that has this program. it is wildly popular for not only the workers, but also with the managers. in rhode island, we've jumped from 2,800 last year to 5,400 this year, a and essentially, when i was at

0:45:50 to 0:46:10( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: this plant, one of the workers said this is the only way i keep paying for my mortgage. this is the only way i can keep paying for the food we put on the table for our children. and the plant manager said, and this is the only way i can keep a valuable worker so we can keep prucing. it is a program that i think deserves close attention.

0:46:11 to 0:46:32( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: this program in rhode island has helped many people avoid being completely laid off. and it's also helped the drain on the u fund, paying a pro rata share is a much better deal for the fund than paying the full benefits when someone is laid off completely. there are 17 states, as are indicated here.

0:46:33 to 0:46:53( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: they range from arizona, california, connecticut, iowa, kansas, massachusetts, rhode island. again, this program is not a one-ste, one-region, one area. this is a national program which i hope can be emulated -- in these 17 states, and emulated in the other states i should say.

0:46:54 to 0:47:14( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: it is a win-win. and i hope we can move forward and take up this legislation as a complement to what wre proposing in the extension of unemployment benefits. the real key, thoh, ultimately is to get the jobs flowing again. and that's something we have to work on. that's something that we've made some progress, but not sufficient progress. we can't rest. we can't rest until there's

0:47:15 to 0:47:20( Edit History Discussion )

Jack Reed: confidence again that throughout this land people have a job. they feel confident they can keep it, they can provide for