Hmmmm....
03/09/02 - President Bush signed the Recession Relief package which includes an extension of unemployment benefits during the broadcast of his weekly radio address. The President said "The bill I sign this morning will allow the extension of jobless benefits by another 13 weeks, and even longer in states with high unemployment rates. This will allow those who lost their jobs in the recession, or in the aftermath of the September the 11th attacks more time to pay their bills and support their families while they look for work."
October 19, 2002 - Republicans argue Bush has already done everything Democrats have demanded. He has given $11 billion in extended unemployment benefits to 2.8 million jobless in 11 states hit hardest by the recession that he inherited in 2001.
Jobless employees in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin have up to one year of benefits under the Bush plan.
Republicans also point out that unemployment is now far smaller than it has been in previous recessions. According to the Labor Department, the Reagan recession of 1983 left 11.5 million unemployed and a jobless rate of 10.4 percent. The Bush "41" recession of 1992 saw peak unemployment of 10 million and a jobless rate of 7.8 percent. Last month, 8 million were jobless and the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent.
"In historical terms, the increase in the unemployment is a little lower than it was in the previous recession," said Christian Weller, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington.