Kucinich in House Debate: The Problem is not the Jobseekers; the Problem is a Lack of Jobs

	Kucinich 111th2

Washington, Dec 13, 2011 -

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made the following statement today in debate on the floor of the House in opposition to H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act. The bill would reduce as many as 40 weeks off of the number of weeks potentially available to individuals who seek it and would cut off benefits to more than 1 million Americans next year. According to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, more than 200,000 Ohioans currently collect federal unemployment benefits. The Department of Labor estimates that two million Americans have exhausted a full 99 weeks of unemployment benefits and are still jobless.

The full statement follows:

“I’m thinking about a debate we had here three years ago where banks received $700 billion dollars, about the Federal Reserve a month ago, printing $7.7 trillion for banks in this country and abroad. And we are telling the American people, who happen to be unemployed, that we are thinking of cutting unemployment benefits by as much as 40 weeks?”

“People want work, not welfare. People want work, not unemployment compensation. But when people do not have work, unemployment insurance is essential. It is a lifeline. This legislation significantly cuts unemployment insurance, a safety net millions rely on. It reduces the number of weeks unemployed workers are eligible by as much as 40 weeks.”

“We need more jobs and yet we have more long-term unemployed. We know the unemployment rate is actually higher because people have stopped looking for work. Nearly 14 million Americans are out of work and, among the long-term unemployed, more than half have been out of work for over a year. The problem is not a lack of effort by those seeking a job; the problem is a lack of jobs. Let’s get America back to work and not cut unemployment compensation.”

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