03.02.10

Sheldon Urges Extension of COBRA Subsidies for Struggling Rhode Islanders

MR. WHITEHOUSE: Madam President, I would like to echo the remarks of my very distinguished colleague from Maryland who I know feels so passionately about this and whose own state will suffer really dire individual consequences as the failure of unemployment insurance and COBRA and other things begin to hit home in the personal lives of people in Maryland, people in my home state of Rhode Island, people across this country.

With so many Americans struggling to pay their bills why, why did thousands of the worst off, including hundreds of Rhode Islanders, have to wake up on Monday morning to find that their unemployment benefits and COBRA subsidies had expired? Why are people being kicked out of these essential, humane, lifeline programs before the economic storm that put them in that predicament has passed? The answer is that we have failed to do what is right for the American public, in part because one Republican has chosen this time of great despair for millions of Americans to make a political point. To make a political point about the deficit by hurting hardworking Americans who are struggling to get by. And it appears that it's actually more than just one Republican, others have come to the floor to support him. But on the home front, the cost is high.

Many Rhode Islanders, through no fault of their own, struggle to find work. For many of them, Unemployment Insurance and COBRA are the lifeline for their ability to support their families. To keep food on the table, and to keep the family covered by health care.

This is no abstract issue - it has had a serious impact in Rhode Island. We are a state of just over one million, in that state of just over one million people there are 75,000 people at least unemployed and looking for work. These are hardworking people, many of whom have worked all their lives, but because of the recession, their struggles to find work so far are unavailing.

Margaret from North Providence is 61 years old and she's six months away from being eligible for Social Security - she's years from Medicare eligibility. She has now been unemployed for 18 months, and her unemployment benefits are expiring. COBRA for her has run out as well, so her health care is at risk. She has never been in this situation before in her life and she is, quite understandably, scared of where our irresponsible action leaves her.

Gretchen from Cranston is a laid off teacher who is receiving COBRA benefits, that helps her pay for her health care. Because of a single Republican's obstruction, apparently supported by others, her premiums have increased from roughly $500 a month to over $2000 a month. She wrote to me saying, "How horrifying that I should work hard all my life, paying for my entire education, dedicate my career to helping children in poverty and find that my own children may be among them." Gretchen did not expect to be in poverty. She expected that her COBRA benefits would continue, but no, we've cut those off.

Richard in Warren wrote to me asking for us to move quickly on COBRA. Richard's wife has cancer, so they have no choice but to pay for health care coverage. Since he lost his job, Richard has been paying $400 a month for their health insurance, but the cost has tripled, tripled with the expiration of COBRA subsidies. Richard should be able to worry about his family, to be able to help his wife through her cancer treatment. He should not have to worry about the political games being played here in Washington and the skyrocketing costs that he is looking at - he and his wife should be focusing on her care and her treatment. But no, sadly, obstruction and political point scoring now come first here for some of our colleagues.

Margaret, Gretchen, and Richard - and all those across the country who are facing similar situations are wondering why they have to pay the price for Republicans to make this point about the deficit. Why them? When it was Halliburton's no-bid contracts in Iraq for which money was borrowed to fund them, where was the concern about the deficit then? For Halliburton's no bid contracts the deficit is no problem evidentially. When it was Part D's colossal hand-out to the pharmaceutical industry, borrowed money, where was the concern then about the deficit? Not when it's the big interests. When it was the tax cuts for CEOs, big tax cuts for CEOs, for big bankers, for derivatives traders, for hedge fund managers, where then was the concern about the deficit when those tax cuts were passed unfunded? When the Bush Administration inherited from the last democratic president a balanced budget predicted to yield a zero national debt during the course of the Bush administration, a zero national debt during the course of the Bush administration and instead the Republicans instead left us with $12 trillion in national debt - where then was the concern about the deficit?

As one of my colleagues has said, this has been described as a point of principle. The way a principle is defined is that you always stand by it. If it is just a sometime thing, it may be a lot of things it may be an opinion, it may be a maneuver, it may be an honestly held opinion but its not a principle if you only follow it selectively, if the only time you follow it is when struggling, working people are in the cross hairs. But when it's Halliburton's no bid contracts, when it's tax cuts for CEOs and big bankers and fancy derivative traders, and when it's the pharmaceutical industry then it's all fine. Well that's not a principle. It may be a lot of things but it is no principle.

So I urge my colleagues to put politics aside, to do what is right, and to help the millions of Americans who are so badly in need of a little help through this economic downturn that was no fault of their own. Hard working people, trapped in this recession, through no fault of their own. I implore my Republican colleagues to start working constructively with us to end this unemployment crisis to put people back to work and to help those who are in such dire circumstances now through no fault of their own. That's what we are sent here to do, and that is what I will keep fighting for. I thank you Madam President and I yield the floor.