Chairman McDermott Urges Swift Passage of H.R. 1
January
27, 2009
Mr. Speaker, everyday, in every corner of this nation and every sector
of our economy, the casualties keep mounting. Alcoa, Boeing, Caterpillar, Home Depot, Intel, Microsoft, Pfizer,
Sprint, Texas Instruments, and countless small businesses.
Over 11 million Americans have already lost their jobs-- the highest
level in 25 years -- and every major economist says it’s going to get worse
before it gets better. Behind every number is a personal story of an American family struggling
to cope and survive this economic crisis.
Behind every story is an American who deserves our help, has earned our
help on the job, and has every right to expect Congress to act with all
deliberate speed. We must not let them
down.
Helping these Americans while they look for work is not only the right
thing to do for them, it’s also the right thing to do for our economy. Unemployment insurance is one of the most
effective forms of economic stimulus because jobless Americans have little
choice but to spend the money quickly.
Every UI dollar spent returns an economic impact of $1.64. That’s the kind of significant return on
investment that will help America re-start its economic engine.
This recovery package responds to rising unemployment with an historic
level of assistance.
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Ways and Means Passes Economic Recovery Legislation
Bill would provide critical tax, health and
unemployment benefits for families, gives incentives to create jobs
January
22, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Committee on Ways and Means voted today in support of a comprehensive economic recovery package to provide tax, health and unemployment relief to families while also encouraging businesses to create new jobs. The legislation, H.R. 598, passed the Committee by a party-line vote of 24 to 13. The legislation will now be combined with other components of the recovery package from other House Committees into H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for consideration by thefull
House of Representatives next week.
As noted in a release last Friday, all of Title II, approximately $45 billion, comes from Chairman Jim McDermott’s (D-WA) Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support.
“This legislation will provide critical benefits and incentives to middle-America, poor-America, and businesses, large and small, who are struggling during this economic downturn,” said Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY). “This plan will go a long way to help relieve the pain these families and businesses are experiencing so that we can restore some confidence and economic security and help America
maintain its prominence in the global marketplace. Simply put, the American people cannot keep the engine of our economy running if they don’t have money to spend and this package provides tax relief and critical benefits to help them take home a little more each month and help the economy grow.”
“The need is great and the time to act is now,” said Rep. Jim McDermott.
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America Economic Recovery Legislation Includes $45 Billion From Rep. McDermott’s Subcommittee
Earlier
this afternoon, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
introduced H.R. 598, legislation including components of the economic recovery
bill under the Jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), chairman of the
Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee joined Chairman Rangel as an
original co-sponsor of this crucial legislation.
“This recovery package will help restore confidence
for American families and businesses and grow the economy so that we can
recover from the current downturn,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman
Charles B. Rangel (D-NY). “We
will provide relief directly to families who are hurting, helping those who
have lost their jobs and their health care to rebuild and recover their
lives. We have also crafted a targeted
package of benefits to businesses large and small to jumpstart investments in
new technology and new jobs to help our economy turn around.”
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HR 2, Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act
January
14, 2009
Mr. Chairman,
I rise in strong support for the CHIP reauthorization legislation and thank Speaker Pelosi for her leadership in bringing this bill to the floor.
HR 2 clearly says that change has arrived for our country and our children.
Instead of the veto pen that was used last year by the outgoing president to deny health care to children, our new president will sign this legislation and in so doing begin to write a new chapter in America’s commitment to our children and our future.
HR 2 is a real down payment on our efforts to ensure universal access to affordable health care for all Americans. It builds on successful models that have expanded access to millions of children nation wide.
Health care should be a right not a privilege for the rich in America.
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Rep. McDermott Introduces Unemployment Insurance Reform and Stimulus Initiative
January
8, 2009
“Today, millions of hard-working Americans who lost their
job during this economic crisis face a second crisis when they try to obtain
their unemployment insurance compensation and discover that they do not qualify
because the system that was created in the economic reality of 1935 is unable
to match the needs of the labor market of the 21st century,” Rep.
McDermott said.
McDermott explained that 1935’s America relied largely on
full-time, male workers, yet America’s 21st Century economy relies
upon millions of part-time workers, which are disproportionately women.
McDermott said: “Low-wage and part-time workers often fall
through the cracks of the UI system, and the impact is particularly hard on
families that rely on the income of a low-wage worker or a mother’s part-time
job. Low-wage and part-time workers, who contribute to the unemployment
insurance system, are a larger portion of the workforce than they used to be,
yet they are half as likely to qualify for unemployment benefits as other
workers.”
The Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act would make $7
billion available from the federal Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to state
governments in exchange for modest reforms to their unemployment insurance
programs. These reforms would enable more low-wage and part-time workers
to qualify for the unemployment insurance compensation they earned. The
unemployment insurance program is a joint, federal-state program that is
administered by state governments.
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Rep. McDermott Leads House Congressional Action on India Resolution
Co-Chair of India Caucus Pledges Strong U.S. Support for India
December
11, 2008
At the urging of Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), co-chair of the
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and other House leaders, the U.S. House of
Representatives last night passed a resolution condemning the recent attacks in
Mumbai.
The House passed H. Res. 1532 by unanimous consent and Rep.
McDermott said the vote demonstrated America’s
strong and unwavering support for India,
especially in this time of crisis: “We
spoke with one voice, as one Democratic nation to another Democratic nation,
making clear our support for India and our condemnation of this unprovoked attack,” Rep. McDermott said. “I said at the time and I say again, today we
are all Indian, and we stand by your side just as you stood by America on
9/11.”
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Staggering Job Losses Highlight Need For Improvements to Unemployment Insurance
House
Legislation would modernize UI system
December
5, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C.
-- The
Bureau of Labor Statistics announced today that the U.S. economy lost 533,000
jobs last month, the largest one-month loss since 1974. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B.
Rangel (D-NY) and Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman
McDermott (D-WA) responded by calling for the swift passage of the Unemployment
Insurance Modernization Act (HR 2233). This legislation would provide
up to $7 billion for States to improve unemployment insurance coverage for many
jobless workers who are now denied those benefits.
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