Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to June Jobs Report, Calls for Action to Support the Most Vulnerable Communities
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ricci Graham
510-763-0370
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) released the following statement in response to the June jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
“As the American economy continues sputter, it’s clearly time for Congress to step up and pass legislation that would create jobs and stem the tide of rising unemployment. It is unacceptable that with 14.1 million people out of work and 6.3 million people suffering from long-term unemployment, we are not taking action to ensure that our most vulnerable communities are protected.
“Right now, African Americans have an unemployment rate of 16.2 percent, Hispanics are at 11.6 percent, and teenagers have a shockingly high rate of 24.5 percent – well above the national rate of 9.2 percent. Such disparities reflect the detrimental effects our economy continues to have on communities of color and young people.
“The employment situation in this country is nothing short of a national crisis, and Republican leadership needs to create jobs and protect those who find themselves running out of options for assistance. Instead, Republican leadership refuses to allow members of Congress to vote on the ‘99ers’ bill that I introduced with Congressman Bobby Scott. This much-needed legislation would provide emergency aid for those who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, which would provide families with a lifeline while attempting to find work.
“We have a moral and economic obligation to create jobs and provide the assistance that jobless workers need in order to survive as we try to fix the broken economy. As President Obama works with Congress to solve our nation’s fiscal challenges, it is essential that we do not balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable communities.”
Follow Barbara Lee on Twitter @RepBarbaraLee
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