Pelosi Statement on New Unemployment Numbers

December 5, 2003

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today released the following statement today on the new unemployment numbers and less than expected job growth:

“Today’s economic news underscores the urgency of extending long-term unemployment benefits. The job numbers are finally showing signs of life, but the economy still has a long way to go to recover from the hemorrhaging of private sector jobs during the last three years.

“Nearly nine million Americans remain unemployed, including more than 1 million Californians. Since President Bush took office, he has lost nearly 3 million private sector jobs, almost 10 percent of which were lost in California. President Bush has the worst record of job creation of any President since Herbert Hoover.

“One and a half million people have already exhausted their unemployment benefits. If Congress does not act next week, 90,000 people every week will be denied extended unemployment benefits, beginning right after Christmas. That means nearly 2.2 million unemployed workers will be denied benefits in the first six months of the new year.

“Democrats are fighting to extend unemployment insurance before Congress adjourns next week. After delivering windfall profits to HMOs and big drug companies, Republican leaders in Congress must not deliver working families a lump of coal.”

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