Madam Speaker,  I rise in strong support of H.R. 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008, which will provide 13 weeks of extended unemployment compensation benefits for all workers who have exhausted their current 26 weeks of benefits.  This measure also provides 13 additional weeks for workers in states with unemployment rates of six percent or higher.  In order to receive these benefits, workers must have lost a job through no fault of their own, be actively searching for a job, be able to work, and must have a minimum number of weeks worked and amount of wages earned over a specific time frame prior to being unemployed. 

This bill provides a critical boost to the many Rhode Islanders, and Americans across the nation, who are struggling to find employment.  Our country’s unemployment rate jumped from five percent in April to 5.5 percent in May, the biggest one-month increase in over 20 years.  In my home state of Rhode Island, the unemployment rate reached 6.1 percent in April, and we have lost an estimated 6,300 jobs since the beginning of the year.  H.R. 5749 would provide relief through March 2006 and benefit 3.8 million Americans.  Most importantly, this measure would immediately help as many as 8,000 Rhode Islanders. 

When discussing this matter, we must remember to look beyond the statistics and recognize the serious toll that unemployment is taking on American families.  I have received numerous calls from my fellow Rhode Islanders asking when Congress would extend their benefits.  They tell me how they are looking for a job, but they just have not been able to find one yet.  They have not given up -- research has shown that workers who exhaust their unemployment benefits search for a job at similar or higher levels of intensity as those who find employment before their benefits expire -- but they need more time.   Compounding the problem, the rising cost of gas poses an additional challenge in searching for a job, and rising food prices have made it even harder to put food on the table.  Our constituents are turning to us for help. 

As Members of Congress, we have the power to give hard-working Americans another chance to continue their job search and provide for their families.  Our country has faced economic hardships and recessions before, and I have no doubt we will weather this current downturn.  I encourage my colleagues to pass this bill and give a hand up to those who are most vulnerable during these trying times.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.