Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 seconds. I must say, to talk about a man on the Moon and to essentially disregard the needs of millions of people who are on the ground unemployed in this country is, I think, unconscionable. I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), another member of our committee.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott). (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. It is now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to another distinguished member of our committee, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. LEVIN. It is now my special privilege to yield 2 minutes to a leader in our party, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn).

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to our distinguished minority whip, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the whip an additional 1 minute.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. It is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), who is the lead sponsor on our unemployment insurance bill.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Camp, we've just received information from the Department of Labor that the Republican bill would cut unemployment benefits for 3.3 million Americans next year compared to an extension of current law. In the name of reform, don't cut the rug out from the unemployed of this country who are looking for work. That is, in one word, inexcusable-- inexcusable. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 2 minutes to a very distinguished member of our committee, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1 minute to the very distinguished gentlelady from California, Lynn Woolsey.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentlelady an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) control 10 minutes of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York, Charles Rangel. (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 1 minute to our distinguished leader, the gentlelady from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. I want to start by reading one of the 400-plus communications we received. This is from Jackie of Amherst, New Hampshire: ``Unemployment benefits helped me make ends meet while I was using my savings and 401(k) to keep up with everything. Now they are gone. My savings are long gone. My 401(k) is almost gone. I am watching everything I worked so hard for, for my entire adult life, slip away from me. I am 50.'' In the name of reform, what the House Republicans are doing is to retreat, to retreat from assisting the unemployed through no fault of their own. According to the data received from the Department of Labor, 3.3 million Americans would lose weeks of unemployment benefits under this bill compared to an extension of current law. The President has made his position clear. The Statement of Administration Policy says: ``The administration strongly opposes H.R. 3630. With only days left before taxes go up for 160 million hardworking American, H.R. 3630 plays politics at the expense of middle class families. ``Instead of working together to find a balanced approach that will actually pass both Houses of Congress, H.R. 3630 instead represents a choice to refight old political battles over health care and introduce ideological issues into what should be a simple debate about cutting taxes for the middle class. ``If the President were presented with H.R. 3630, he would veto the bill.'' In good conscience, we should not support this bill. Remembering the 3.3 million who would have their benefits cut under this bill, there should be a resounding ``no.'' A resounding ``no.'' I yield back the balance of my time.